Veni, Vidi, Vici
by NerdyAdjacent
Summary: Shield!AU. A new world order has risen to replace the old and The Authority has taken power. In this new police state, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The world has spiraled into turmoil and those that dare to fight against are dealt with swiftly and brutally. The Cage awaits them.
1. the ending is always first

**This started as a oneshot request at my Shield Imagine blog (shieldxreader - tumblr). I liked the idea and have sort of had it stuck in my head for a year. I always imagine wrestlers as modern day gladiators. Essentially, they are. They are driven high or low by the crowd, They fight for entertainment, and they are revered for that skill. So, obviously, I took that idea and turned it into a dystopian adventure. It will be a stand alone for the moment, but I hope to expand it. Enjoy.**

* * *

The thumbs up.

How had he managed a thumbs up? He should be dead, killed like the criminal he was made out to be. Yet, the crowd chanted his name over and over. Even on his knees in the dirt, bloody and broken, with a switchblade held precariously to his throat by someone who would have no problem running the blade across his jugular and letting him bleed to death, they chanted. Why?

 _Ambrose, Ambrose, Ambrose_

He looked up through the eye that wasn't swollen shut at the people chanting his name behind the steel. The arena had been built years ago by the new world order known as The Authority. They televised these fights every Sunday as a way to not only distract from the fact that people were starving in the streets, but to deal with the Rebels who tried to fight back. It was mandatory to watch the sick and twisted battles that were usually heavily weighted to one side. Some selected population was allowed to attend to give the illusion that the people had the choice as to who lived or died. It was unusual that anyone chose the former.

His capture was considered a huge victory. As leader of an uprising known only as The Shield, he was considered public enemy number one and should have been shot on sight. Yet, they wanted to make an example of him, force him to fight their best man, Randy Orton. Of course they had already beat him and his best friend and second in command, Roman, before they even entered the cage. They were captured together as they tried to hijack a food truck to feed the starving of the city. It was a stupid mistake on his part that caused this so maybe he didn't deserve to live anyway. Yet, Roman was watching him in anxious concern as they held him back. He knew the large Samoan was trying to get to him, fighting against the hands that kept him on his knees. He was set to fight next.

The microphone sprang to life and the man known as Triple H Spoke. He was the leader of The Authority and creator of this bloody punishment. He was trying to appease the crowd outside the steel cage with his mollifying smile and a gentle wave of his hand. Though the crowd quieted slightly, they never stopped chanting. "Okay, okay…"

 _Ambrose, Ambrose, Ambrose_

"Quiet." Triple H said with as fake a smile as he could muster. It was obvious he was unhappy with the outcome of the fight that should have rid him of the petty outlaws that had caused him so much grief in the past few months. "You want him to live?"

 _Ambrose, Ambrose, Ambrose._

"You realize he has stolen from all of you. He is a criminal!"

He could tell Triple H was getting angry though trying desperately to hide it. Yet, they continued to chant.

 _Ambrose, Ambrose, Ambrose._

He couldn't help the triumphant grin or the laugh that escaped his bloody mouth. Even a punch to the jaw from Orton that sent him face first into the dirt couldn't stop it. Even as Randy lifted him back to his knees by the hair, he couldn't stop it. The crowd had spoken. They wanted him to live. Oh he was sure Triple H would find another way to take him out, but the crowd loved his fight and wanted to keep him around to fight again.

"And what of his friend?" Triple H continued. "Should he not die either?"

To his surprise, the chant changed and the growl from the microphone was evident. Triple H was pissed and no longer trying to hide it.

 _Reigns, Ambrose, Reigns, Ambrose._

The authority leader tried to force a smile as he gave the crowd what they wanted. Randy let go of his hair and licked him in the gut before stalking off. Authority guards immediately handcuffed him and Roman…

They would live to see another day.


	2. Just the Lunatic to Follow

_**3 weeks prior**_

Dean Ambrose wasn't a small man. Standing at 6 foot 4 inches, he was far from it. He considered himself in good shape and pretty light on his feet for his size. Even as he ran through the congested city streets, he was able to dodge most of the people and objects in his way.

It was just a typical day for him really, running from the Authority goon squad for something that a few years ago would have been overlooked. Ever since the old world collapsed and the new world order took over, life for the people had gone to shit. Most don't even remember how it happened, but seemingly overnight the rich got richer and the poor died for it. The United States was now a third world country, cut off from the others, seeking no help or aid. There was no coming in or leaving. Anyone who was unlucky enough to be stuck when everything changed were essentially fucked.

But that was neither here nor there at this point. Dean Ambrose had some goons to outrun. All he had done was take a photo of a map, nothing major. Well, not unless one realized that that map had the locations of every authority convoy station and food supply on the east coast. It wasn't his fault they were stupid enough to let him through the checkpoint, or that they failed to notice the small camera in his pocket, or that they let him get a little too close to their pow-wow. That, he believed, was their fault.

But, his luck had to change sometime and he was recognized. That happened when you're public enemy number one in the eyes of the authority. He learned pretty quick, after everything crumbled down, that he could help people by using his particular skill set to his advantage. Who would have thought that being a simple thief would turn him into a public hero, a Robin Hood figure if you will. He couldn't just sit back and let people starve- he just couldn't.

Which brought him to his current predicament. A glance behind him and he realized he wasn't quite outrunning his pursuers. "Dammit!" He spat and jumped over a fruit stand selling meager and sick looking apples. He shot an apologetic look at the owner and continued running. He was almost where he knew he could lose them. He had this city rigged. Just a little further...

"Dean!" He heard yelled from an alley just in front of him and smiled. Roman Reigns, his best friend and second in command was waving at him. "C'mon!"

Dean sped up, sprinting toward his friend at full speed. He reached the alley and grabbed the wall to brace the turn before following the large Samoan in a sprint for the large warehouse doors that led to a hidden sewer access. The doors opened just enough for them to slip through and the sewer entrance was already open thanks to the owners of the building, twins and Romans cousins, Jimmy and Jey Uso. They dropped into the sewer and Jey closed the grate with a wink and a nod.

Roman and Dean waited for a few seconds, heaving breaths of the stinking air into their exhausted lungs. They could hear Jimmy talking to the Authority douchebags, talking them into moving on. Once confident they were alright to move, Dean grinned triumphantly at Roman, who shook his head in disapproval.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, big dog." He said, clapping Roman on the shoulder. "I got what we needed."

Roman sighed, "And almost got yourself caught in the process."

"Please!" Dean sniffed, "they wouldn't know what to do if they caught me."

Roman rolled his eyes in the dark, "you know exactly what they would do if they caught you. You'd be in the cage in a second with some authority prizefighter looking to tear your head off."

Dean waved him off and began sloshing his way through the knee high sludge. If they weren't used to it, the smell alone would be traumatizing.

Roman grabbed him by the arm and pulled his friend to look at him. "I'm serious man. We've lost a lot of friends to that cage."

Dean pulled his arm free, "You think I don't know that? Their deaths are on my hands. Hunter likes to make that known every damn broadcast! Risks need to be taken, Roman, or the people here would starve to death."

Roman watched as Dean walked ahead, not saying another word. What could he say? The man was right. If it weren't for Dean and his risky behavior, half the population of this city would be dead in the streets. He ran after him and threw his arm over the shorter mans shoulder, half as a gesture of apology, half to try and make him smile. "So, how many you outrun?"

Dean shrugged him off, feigning annoyance and failing as a smile spread across his features. Even in the darkness of the sewer, Roman could see he had succeeded. "Five." Dean answered.

"You crazy bastard."

It was another hour of sloshing through the stinking swerve before they made it to their hideout. It wasn't much, but Dean and his inner circle were able to hide in relative safety. It was an abandoned subway station that, thankfully, wasn't on any map. The maze of tunnels kept them protected from intruders. Only his closest friends knew the right tunnels and passageways. There was Seth, a lean and agile man that Dean had known for going on ten years; Dolph, a flashy guy with blonde hair and an attitude; Paige and Becky, the only women in his group but able to beat most of the guys at anything; and finally Roman, his right hand man. Together, the people affectionately called them a shield from injustice, or The Shield for short. Sure, he had trusted people all over this city in every profession imaginable, but these five here his most trusted and best friends.

"Dean! Roman!" Paige called out from the bench where she was reading, probably some Stephen King novel that she stole. She put her book down and ran over to them. "You get it?"

Dean held up the small camera and grinned, "You know it!"

By now, Seth had made his way to them and snatched the camera from Dean's hand. "You actually did it?"

"You doubted me?"

"I always doubt you and am pleasantly surprised every time you come back in one piece."

Dean laughed and shook his head, "thanks for the vote of confidence, Seth."

"Guys!" Dolph yelled to them from the tv he and Becky had managed to pillage from an authority outpost a few months back. "It's on."

The mood suddenly shifted and all in attendance somberly made their way to where Dolph and Becky were sitting. It was Sunday and that meant the cage. Everyone was required to watch, some were even forced to attend, but all hated it. They knew who would be fighting today and who would probably die because until recently, they had been friends of the Shield.

The Authority logo flashed onto the screen and a voice announced the weekly segment. "Welcome to the Cage. Please welcome our leader, Hunter Hearst Helmsley."

There was a slight, unenthusiastic applause as Helmsley's face appeared on screen, grinning and waving to the people who would rather see his head on a spike. "Thank you. For the last year, our participant has aided Dean Ambrose and his band of miscreants in giving away food that could have been put to better use. Use to feed you."

Dean could help the sarcastic chuckle at that.

"He has aided and abetted Ambrose and will now have the opportunity to fight for his life to prove his worth to live. Should he win, he will fight another day. Should he lose, his head will join the others. Let it be known that his blood is on Ambrose's hands."

Hunter took a seat in his balcony box, well guarded against the likes of the rabble that surrounded the cage. The camera panned to the dirt floored prison where so many of their friends had paid the ultimate price. There stood the opponent, and Authority lap dog, known only as the Big Show.

"Shit." Seth said with defeated enthusiasm. "They have Show fighting tonight."

No one responded to him, it wasn't really needed. Next the camera panned to the prisoner entrance. The gate opened to no pomp or circumstance and they shoved in a person who, until very recently, was a friend to all of those sitting in the station. Daniel Bryan. He was bloody and holding his side and they all knew they had wounded him before shoving him into the cage.

Dean couldn't watch. He never could. He turned away from the television to the unused subway car he used as his retreat. Inside were remnants of all he had in his life before this all happened - A Cincinnati Reds cap. It sat on his makeshift bed and he grabbed it before plopping down, turning the dirty hat in his hands. He could hear the television off in the distance and tried to tune out the sounds of the fight, with no luck. It sounded like Daniel was putting up a good fight, lasting longer than most.

When there was silence, he looked up to find Roman there. "How he do?"

Roman looked at his shoes and didn't need to say anything for Dean to know the outcome. "He put up a good fight," Roman said somberly, "but he got the thumbs down from Helmsley."

Dean nodded and looked away. "Yeah, I figured."

"Don't beat yourself up about this." Roman added, sitting across from Dean on his own bunk. "We all know the risks."

"It's not that easy, Ro."

"It's never easy Dean. But you're doing more good than anything else."

"Our numbers are dwindling, man." Dean said as he ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Helmsley is wearing us down."

Roman shrugged, "So we recruit." Dean pulled a face causing Roman to laugh, "I'm serious, brother. There are a lot of people willing to fight the Authority."

Dean nodded and looked at the hat in his hands, "You know I wanted to be a professional wrestler when I was a kid? I even started training before all this shit happened. Granted, stealing for cash paid the bills, but I was going straight."

"And I wanted to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars." Roman answered with a shrug. "We all had to adapt."

"But why me, Ro?" Dean asked . "Why does everyone choose to follow me?"

"Because you're just the lunatic to do something worth following."

* * *

 _ **Whelp, wasn't going to keep writing this, but it was stuck in my head. Enjoy.**_


	3. Sacrifices

"He hit us again, sir."

Hunter Helmsley looked up from his lavish meal and eyed the man before him. He had worked for the Authority for some time now, but always seemed to bring him nothing but bad news. "Mr. Barrett, I'm starting to think you and your men are inept. You remember what happened to the last inept captain of my guard?"

Wade Barrett gulped hard. He didn't ask to be in charge, it was appointed to him by Hunter after the last captain was found stabbed 57 times in a mysterious home invasion. Everyone knew Hunter had him killed for failing to catch Ambrose and now Barrett was headed in the same direction. Hell, he wasn't even supposed to be here. He tried to get back to England for several months when it first happened, but ended up stuck thanks to the asinine policies handed down by the Authority. He had to make the best of a bad situation and the only way to guarantee food on his plate was to join the guard, even if the food was bland and meager.

"My apologies." He said with a slight nod of his head. "Might I make a suggestion?"

Helmsley raised an eyebrow of warning but Barrett could see he was intrigued. He tossed an uneaten spare rib to his dog before waving for Barrett to continue.

"Maybe we could set a trap for Ambrose rather than try and catch him in the act? He's unpredictable, so maybe we should be too." He said, his British accent breaking as his stomach growled. He silently hoped Hunter hadn't heard it.

The Authority leader sat back in his chair with a grin, "go on."

* * *

"That's the last of it." Roman said, clapping his hands together to knock the dirt from his large fingers. "There's enough food here to feed half the city for a few days at least."

Dean leaned against the truck they had hijacked and chewed nervously on his bottom lip. "Only a few days?"

"If we keep the rations the same, yeah." Paige added. She tossed Dean a bottle of water and took a swig from her own before continuing. "There wasn't enough on this truck. We could cut our own rations in half which might buy a day or two for one or two families."

Seth sighed and sat on the edge of the truck bed. "We've already done that...twice. If we keep doing that we'll starve ourselves. Then what use would we be?"

Dean pushed off the truck and began to pace, tapping at his collarbone as he thought of a solution. It had been a week since they managed to get a snapshot of the map and this was the first planned attack on an Authority truck. It went perfectly, all his friends playing their parts to the T. But why so little by way of food? He knew Helmsley ate like a king, so why was a truck bound for his location carrying so little? It was unusual and worrying to think that maybe the Authority food stores were dwindling.

He stopped his motion and looked everyone in the eye, "We have to hit them again. The next truck should come by in two days."

"Hit them again!?" Dolph spat. "Are you crazy?"

Dean shrugged. "That's debatable."

Dean knew it was risky to attack a truck again so quickly, but people depended on them to stay alive. How else could they guarantee meals for the hungry? Something drastic needed to be done.

Seth jumped off the truck bed and stood eye to eye with Dean. "You realize they will double the guards, just like they always do. There's only six of us."

"Yeah, but were six with a mission."

"That is not comforting, Dean."

"Hey!" Roman shouted from the truck, silencing the bickering between Seth and Dean, knowing full well it would end with one of them punching the other because that's what always happened when Seth got in Dean's face. "We might not have a choice, Seth."

"You always take his side!" Seth barked at the big Samoan. "This is not a good idea."

"I'm with Dean." Dolph said after a long moment of tension between everyone.

"Me too." Becky and Paige said in unison.

Dean looked up at Roman who shrugged and nodded, "I'm in."

Seth sighed, obviously outnumbered. "Fine. But for the record, I was against this."

* * *

The plan was set. They knew another food convoy would be coming through the city and were prepared to make a move on hijacking it. Though, this hit would be different. There would be double the guards on the transport, just like after every successful mission, so they had to be smart.

As anticipated, the food convoy made its way down the congested streets, honking at all those who got in its way. Little did they know that every person who stepped in front of the truck was working for Ambrose in some capacity. The point was to slow down the truck long enough to board it.

Dean and Seth waited on the second story balcony of Jimmy and Jay's warehouse for the truck to pass, knowing it would have to detour around a purposefully set roadblock of two men fighting over an accident in the street.

Seth looked at Dean and sighed at the smile on his face. "I still think this is a bad idea."

Deans blue eyes met his and the grin widened as he clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "We'll be fine. Just stick to the plan."

They heard the truck before they saw it, honking its way through the small side street as planned. Dean again grinned at Seth, who looked none too pleased with this situation. Quickly and deftly, they both hopped over the balcony railing and landed as quietly as possible on the roof of the truck. Dean caught a glimpse of Roman and Becky skirting the side of the vehicle to hold onto the back. Dolph and Paige were a few blocks up waiting to take out the driver and passenger. So far so good.

Seth and Dean kept low as they made their way to the tail end of the truck to meet with Roman and Becky. They peeked over the edge and locked eyes with the smiling pair. But, that's when things went downhill.

The back of the truck opened quickly and their smiled shifted to surprise as, rather than a few extra guards and some food, the entire truck bed was full of armed guards. Becky managed to lean out of the way as one reached for her and Roman had already tackled one to the ground. He was quickly overwhelmed.

"Fuck!" Dean yelled and flipped himself over the end and into the bed, kicking two guards off of Roman as he went, allowing the Samoan to at least get some semblance of control.

"I told you!" Seth barked as he mirrored Dean's move and kicked two out of Becky's path.

"Now is not the time for 'I told you so', Seth!" Dean spat back as he threw a punch that connected with a guard. "Everyone off the truck! Run!"

Roman somehow managed to dislodge himself long enough to jump and roll out of the truck bed before he broke into a sprint. Seth followed suit and took off in another direction. That left Dean and Becky.

"Go Dean!" She cried, pulling a guard off his back.

"Not without you, Becks!"

She smiled at him before tossing a guard in his direction and knocking him from the truck bed. The last he saw of her was the guards grabbing her and pulling her into the truck before they closed the door. The driver hit the gas, totally disregarding everything in his path and barreled out of the city.

Dean tussled with the guard for a few more moments before he managed to knock him out with a loose piece of concrete.

He tried to run after the truck, unwilling to let another one of his close friends suffer for his stupidity. He was stopped when Dolph physically held him back. It was no use.

* * *

"Welcome to The Cage. Please welcome our leader, Hunter Hearst Helmsley."

Triple H stood in his box and addressed the crowd around him with a victorious grin on his face. Ever since Ambrose had begun his boys out quest to help the unworthy, he had struggled to capture any of his inner circle. That day had changed. Finally, he had an upper hand. "Tonight's Cage is a special one because we have someone very special to fight. I have made it clear that the troublemaker known as Dean Ambrose had blood on his hands. Tonight's will one of his closest friends. That is, unless he turns himself in."

Helmsley couldn't hold in the chuckle as he motioned to the prisoner entrance. Wade Barrett pulled a bloody Becky behind him and threw her into the dirt.

"He has one hour to turn himself in, or the match will go on as planned."


	4. Examples

**Thanks everyone for the wonderful reviews! MsConCon, I'm so happy someone got my pun! Haha! Keep letting me know what you think!**

* * *

The punch connected with Dean's face hard enough to send him off balance and to the floor. Paige stood over him, shaking out her right hand as Dolph kept her from striking out further. "You're willing to give everything up? Just like that!?" She screamed at him, tears filling her dark eyes. "Everything we worked for? You worked for?"

Dean rubbed his sore jaw, but could not make eye contact with his friend, opting to focus on a smudge of dirt on the grimy tile floor. "I can't let her die if I can do something about it, Paige." He responded quietly, far quieter than his personality would dictate.

She lunged for him, but Dolph's arm around her waist held her back. "She is my friend too. Let me at least come with you!"

At that statement, Dean pulled himself to his feet and looked her in the eye, "No! Absolutely not! No one is coming with me!"

"You can't do this alone, Dean." Roman said from his spot blocking the exit from their hideout that would lead directly to the cage. "I'm going with you."

Dean attempted to protest but Roman quited him with a single look of seriousness and tenacity that spoke volumes. Though he didn't want anyone to sacrifice themselves for him, he was secretly happy he wouldn't have to do it alone. A quick nod and they were in silent agreement.

Off to the side, he noticed Seth sitting quietly against a crumbling bit of wall, twirling some piece of string hanging from his jacket. He was watching everything play out, but so far had said nothing - unusual for him. "What about you, Seth?" Dean asked, suddenly curious what he would have to say. After all, Seth did not hide his disapproval for Dean's tactics. He knew he would blame him for this. And rightfully so.

Seth made eye contact after a long, tension filled silence, "I think you should turn yourself in."

Though his words weren't really a surprise, they still cut Dean like a knife. Paige and Dolph were already bickering with him, ready to pounce on the man for saying what Dean had already decided. Actually, Dean was relieved Seth said it rather than sugar coat his feelings. He always appreciated that in Seth.

Dean sniffed back his fear and anxiety with a nod, "It's settled."

"No it's not!" Paige screamed.

Dean met her distraught eyes. "It's three against two. It's settled."

Dean then knelt next to Seth and could see the guilt in his eyes from speaking his mind. Dean didn't mention it, but clamped a forgiving hand on Seth's shoulder. "This is your operation now. Make sure the people eat. Don't let Helmsley win, Seth. Promise me."

Seth acknowledged him with a slight nod and Dean squeezed again in silent thanks before he turned away from his friends and faced Roman. "You don't have to do this. They will kill you too."

"I'm not going to let you walk in there alone." He answered.

Dean said nothing more and, with one last look back, he entered the tunnel that lead to the Cage, Roman close behind him.

It would take them another half hour to walk the distance to their fate. Neither man talked until the Cage stadium loomed ominously in front of them. That's when Dean gave Roman one final chance to turn back. Again Roman assured his friend that he was going nowhere.

They both knew the building was well monitored and all they really had to do was stand and wait. Dean couldn't help the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't fear that put it there, but the knowledge that this was it - No blaze of glory, no final epic battle. Helmsley would put he and Roman in the Cage to put on some sort of show for his sick pleasure only to get the thumbs down and be put out of their misery like sick dogs. Of course he would make an example of them because that's been his ultimate goal since the Cage began. He wondered absently if these fights would continue after he was gone.

As anticipated, they hadn't been standing there 5 minutes before a host of guards exited the building and surrounded them. Both men threw up their hands as weapons trained on them. "I believe I was summoned." Dean said with a defiant smirk.

Hands were on them immediately, pushing both he and Roman into the building. He didn't fight back as they led them down and through the prisoner causeway and onto the Cage floor. There were gasps and shocked faces surrounding him, but his eyes were trained on Becky on her knees in the dirt. She shook her head in bewilderment and sadness as fresh tears trailed wet streaks down her cheeks.

"Well, well, well." He heard booming through the speaker system. His eyes lifted and met with the amused face of the man none too affectionately referred to as Triple H. "I almost thought you weren't going to show. And you brought a friend!"

Roman flipped off Triple H and the Authority leader laughed. "At any rate, I'll be happy to have you out of my hair. We'll talk more later. But for now, let's start this fight."

"Wait!" Dean yelled as hands roughly grabbed him and cuffed his arms behind his back. "You said if I turned myself in she would live!"

"No, I said the fight would go on as scheduled." He answered with a sickening grin. "It's an hour late."

He didn't know how long he was sitting there, cuffed to a chair in the dark, but he could hear the crowd above him as Becky fought for her life. She put up a valiant effort, but in the end it was too much. She got the thumbs down and there was a loud gasp as she was killed. Dean wanted to yell and scream because his best efforts to save her life were useless, because of a technicality. Now Roman was nowhere to be seen, having been dragged off to God knew where, leaving him alone to suffer in the knowledge that everything he had done was in vain.

"Fuck!" He screamed as loud as he could, but nothing would get rid of the disparity.

It was a long time before he saw anyone, least of which he expected to see Roman Reigns. But, they dragged him kicking and thrashing and cuffed him to a chair across from Dean before leaving the pair. What were they playing at here?

"You alright, man?" Dean asked once Roman managed to calm down.

"No!" He shouted back. "They made me watch that whole goddamn fight! It's different in person. She looked me right in the eyes..."

"I'm so sorry." Dean said somberly and had to sniff back the tears, trying to put on a brave face. "This is all my fault. If we hadn't hit that second truck..."

"Stop." Roman demanded, halting Dean from speaking any further. "This is not the time to feel sorry for yourself. Pull yourself together. We're strong men, maybe we can survive this."

"You know these fights are rigged." Dean responded. "Besides, he'll want to make an example of us."

Roman sighed again and tugged at the cuffs encircling his wrists. "It was worth a shot."

Suddenly the door opened and drew both men's attention. In strolled Triple H looking very pleased with himself with his expensive suit and shit eating grin. Dean wished he could tear his heart out and feed it to him for what he had done to his city...his friends.

"So." He began, assessing the pair as if they were cattle. "We finally meet."

"Fuck you." Dean spat, earning him a backhand from Helmsley. He licked the blood from his lip and smiled, his defeated thoughts now replaced with defiant ones. "Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I didn't say it loud enough. FUCK YOU!"

Again Helmsley backhanded him, but also grabbed him by the throat and squeezed with his large hand. "You are very disrespectful." He said through gritted teeth as Dean struggled for breath. "I should have just shot you in the head on sight."

"What fun... would that... be?" Dean choked out.

Hunter released his grip on Dean's throat and the younger man coughed as he drew in shaky breaths. He turned his gaze to Roman now who sat quietly with hands balled into tight fists, tight enough to draw blood. "So you walked into the lion's den with your buddy? That's so romantic of you."

Roman said nothing, opting to glare angrily at the pacing man before him.

"What? No remark?" Hunter asked, still circling the large Samoan like a shark out for blood. "No comeback? That's adorable."

Again his gaze shifted to Dean. "The rest of your posse decided you weren't worth it?"

"They are doing what is best." Dean growled. "I'm sure they've already got plans to take more of those food trucks you hoard."

"Yeah, about that." Hunter replied, leaning down so he could properly see Dean's reaction when he revealed his next tidbit of information. "There will be no more food trucks."

Dean tried to keep his face still, but the sickening grin that spread across Helmsley's face told him he had failed. "That news hard to take?"

Roman struggled angrily in his chair, "You son of a bitch! Those people will starve!"

"Precisely." Said Hunter, his eyes still locked with Deans. "Call it Darwinism at work. The strong will thrive and the weak will perish. You get to sit here in the knowledge that there is nothing you can do about it anymore. In fact, come Sunday, you'll be dead. So maybe, you should just tell me where your friends are holed up and save me the trouble of smoking them out."

"You can kiss my lily white-"

The slap across his face snapped his head to the side and the sucker punch to the gut drive the air from his lungs, leaving him bent over and gasping for air. Helmsley grabbed him by the hair and lifted his face so Dean could properly see the triumphant grin. "I'm so glad you decided to fight back, Dean, it just gives me a reason to make sure you're beaten within an inch of your life before the Viper gets you in the Cage."

Deans eyes widened in what would be the first real fear he felt since he turned himself in. No Authority fighter was as brutal and methodical than the man they called the Viper, Randy Orton. He liked to play with his victims, tear them apart slowly and carefully so they felt every strike and blow he gave them.

"I will make an example of you, Ambrose, so anyone who even so much as thinks of going against me knows what awaits them." He whispered in Dean's ear.

"And as for you, big man." He continued after pushing Dean's head away and turning to eye Roman. "You're fighting second. I've got Bray Wyatt lined up for your match."

With one last punch to Dean, Helmsley walked from the room, but not before passing on one instruction to his captain, Wade Barrett. "Make sure they're taken care of, but don't kill them."


	5. A New Player

Pain was all he registered in his hazy brain as punch after punch landed to his face and head and body. One after another they beat him mercilessly, everyone hoping to get a shot at Dean Ambrose. It had been going on for days now, over and over they would hit him for what felt like hours on end. He wasn't even sure if the pain he was feeling was real at this point or if his body had just gone numb and his brain was betraying him.

But, he could handle pain, he always could. Call it a gift. What he couldn't handle was watching them do the same to his best friend. Roman took the beatings in defiant silence... at first. Yet, as they continued, neither one of them could hold in the cries of pain. They would switch off, beating one and making the other watch. It was the mental torture of knowing there was nothing you could do to help that no one should have to face.

Eventually they would leave them to bleed in private, alone with each other in their anguish. Dean was so weak after the last round that he could barely spit the loose molar from his mouth.

"You alright, Roman?" He managed to breath out. Roman's head hang against his heaving chest, his long black hair obscuring deans view of his face. "Talk to me, Ro."

Roman groaned and lifted his head slowly. Dean got a good look at his face for the first time. His face was a picture of pain, bleeding cuts peppered his tan skin, blood dripped from his nose and mouth, his left eye was swollen shut, and his cheekbone had begun to bruise. Yet, the large Samoan smiled at Dean, "You look like shit."

Dean couldn't help the laugh that escaped his bleeding lips, "And you're handsome as ever."

Roman heaved in a large breath in what was probably meant to be a laugh but ended up coughing instead, leaning over to spit out blood. "Fuck." He spat with a shake of his head.

"That is an understatement my friend."

Dean didn't know how they would survive. Even if Roman held some kind of hope that they could somehow get the thumbs up, Dean knew better. A growing sadness settled in the pit of his stomach as he thought about Roman taking on Bray Wyatt in his state. If the Viper was cruel than Wyatt was downright sadistic. The only thing Roman had going for him was that Wyatt liked to kill quickly where the Viper would make Dean suffer first. He didn't wish this on Roman, his friend didn't have to give himself up and, thanks to Dean's stupidity, he would die just like the others. So many of his friends met this fate because of him, maybe it was only fitting he did too.

He tested his bonds for what felt like the thousandth time. And, just like every time before, they held tight. "What day do you think it is?"

Roman shook his head and winced, "I don't even know, and I don't care. I just want to get this over with."

The sound of the door opening drew their attention and they both groaned when Wade Barrett walked in, alone.

"Haven't you guys had enough?" Dean groaned and rolled his eyes.

Barrett sighed, "I'm not here for that. I have a message for you."

Dean chuckled, "Well you can tell King Douchebag I'm not interested."

Barrett shook his head, "Not from him, from Seth Rollins."

Dean and Roman blinked in disbelief at the British man standing in their little hell hole. "Excuse me?"

Barrett knelt down in front of Dean so he could whisper to the younger man, "look, Helmsley is tyrannical. I see what he's done to this country and you're the only one making a change for the better. Seth found me a year ago before I was captain of the guard. I've been sneaking him info."

Dean shot a look at Roman, "That's why he was so against hitting the second truck."

"I told him to talk you out of it." Barrett said. "Obviously he wasn't able to."

Dean shook his head in disbelief, unsure if he should trust the man who only a short time ago was punching him in the face.

Barrett drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I can see you're skeptical."

"You're damn right I'm skeptical!" Dean half yelled and Barrett shushed him. Then, in a quilted tone, "Give me one reason I should trust anything some authority lapdog has to say?"

"Rollins said you might say that, so he gave me this." Barrett reached into his jacket pocket. Dean tensed up. The man could have pulled anything from there, good or bad. But, rather than some horrible trick, he pulled out Dean's red Cincinnati Reds cap. "He said you treasure this."

"Dean..." Roman said in a low, warning tone.

Dean quited him with a glance and turned his attention back to Barrett. "Ok, what's your message?"

"Rollins says the people are with you."

Dean laughed, he couldn't help it. "That's it?" Then he leaned down so his face was mere inches from Barrett's. "Why don't you just uncuff us and walk away?"

"I can't do that." Barrett replied. "You think you're the only one with your ass on the line here? One screw up and I'm dead."

Dean leaned back and shrugged, "Fine. You tell Rollins exactly who I'm fighting and that I make no promises."

Barrett said nothing else. He nodded and stood before walking out and closing the door behind him. Once the lock slipped into place, Roman kicked Dean hard in the shin. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"That was for being a trusting asshole!"

"He had my hat, Roman!"

"Yeah? And who's to say he didn't kill everyone and take it?"

"It's not like I told him anything!" Dean snapped and kicked Roman back.

Roman sighed, "What does 'the people are with you' even mean?"

"I have no idea."


	6. Ambrose Ambrose Ambrose

**Warning: blood, gore, fighting, etc. You knew this was coming.**

* * *

Fight day came after days of beatings and the occasional visit for Hunter Helmsley to gloat about his triumph over the rebel known as Dean Ambrose. Dean ignored him for the most part.

He was lead, more like dragged, to the prisoner entrance of the cage, bloody and barely able to stay upright. This wasn't going to be a fight, it was going to be an execution. He knew it, Roman knew it, everyone knew it. That didn't mean he wasn't going to give it his all. Dean Ambrose wasn't a quitter. Lying down and letting the viper tear his head off would be doing just that. Quitting. It didn't matter how weak he was or how much pain he was in, Dean Ambrose wasn't going out like a wounded animal. He was going down swinging.

He had a feeling Helmsley would want one final chance to flaunt his victory over the rabble before the fight took place, so he wasn't shocked when he saw him standing at the prisoner's gate. He looked smug, villainous, and all around douchebag like. Dean hated him. He hated him with every fiber in his being.

"Today's the day, Ambrose." He said with that pompous smile plastered on his face. "I'll finally be rid of you."

Dean grinned despite himself, "I can promise you one thing, Helmsley. You'll never be rid of me. I might go down, but there are hundreds who will gladly step up to the plate to take you out."

He laughed loudly and patted Dean on the cheek. "You're adorable. You think I can't handle a hundred more men like you? Especially after they've all starved to death." He came in close to Dean. If it weren't for the men holding him, he would have ripped Helmsley's face off. "Face it, Ambrose. I've won."

Dean didn't see the knife until it was sticking out of his thigh. He cried out in pain as Helmsley twisted the blade back and forth, leaving a gaping wound. He screamed again when he pulled it out with a sneer. Warm blood had already soaked his jeans when he was able to recover and breathe through the pain. He wasn't going to be able to walk properly. Fuck! He wasn't going to be able to defend himself with one leg.

Again Helmsley patted his cheek. "Good luck out there, Ambrose."

It was another 15 minutes of tormenting, physically painful waiting before he heard the familiar announcement ring through the arena. "Welcome to the Cage! Please welcome our leader, Hunter Helmsley!"

There was halfhearted clapping before king douchebag began speaking. "As you all are well aware, the outlaw known as Dean Ambrose turned himself in last week. He, along with his friend, Roman Reigns have made themselves martyrs for the cause that has inflicted enough damage to this city to last a generation. It came to my attention recently that he and his group of miscreants have been hoarding several food trucks that could have gone to better use."

"Quit bitching and get on with it." He mumbled, earning a quick punch to the side. It was nothing compared to the pain in his leg.

Helmsley finished his speech on why Dean was a menace to society and why he, Hunter, was the hero of their nation for taking him down. The silence was enough to tell Dean the people weren't buying it and he grinned. He could just imagine Hunters face at that little insult.

The announcer began speaking again, introducing Dean's opponent. The Viper. Randy Orton. Dean took a calming breath, which didn't really work, and let it out slowly. He had seen the Viper fight before, everyone had. He was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sadistic. He had seen the man tear apart his opponent, very literally, piece by piece, making sure that person was aware and alive for as long as possible. He had a penchant for knives, usually carrying one or two into the cage with him, hidden on his person. Dean would have to beware of that.

"Dean!" He heard from behind him and he turned in time for them to drag a bloodied but not beaten Roman to the prisoners entrance. They both struggled against the men holding them to get at each other. He glanced down at Dean's bloody leg and cringed. "Who did that?"

"Who do you think?" Dean answered with as much malice as he could muster. "I'm going in wounded, buddy. We knew that was coming."

"Dean. I-"

Dean shook his head and interrupted his friend. "Don't do that."

He didn't need a long, sappy goodbye. That just wasn't their style. He needed Roman to be ok. He was big and tough. He might fair ok against Bray Wyatt. Roman offered him a small, reassuring smile. "Okay." He said. "Kick his ass."

"That's what I like to hear!" He said with a grin. "You do the same. Yah hear me? I'm going down swinging, so should you."

"Done."

They looked at each other for a long moment, each silently giving their goodbyes. They weren't foolish enough to think either of them was walking away from this. The announcer finally finished his spiel on the Viper and again there was half hearted clapping. He knew what was next. "You take care of yourself, Ro."

He didn't look back as they called his name and opened the prisoner's gate only to shove him forward. He tried to catch himself, but his leg gave out from underneath him and he landed face first in the dirt. To his surprise, the crowd was going wild, screaming and clapping loudly for him. That had to really chap hunters ass.

The cage was different when you were in it about to fight for your life. It was colder, more menacing, scarier. If he could imagine what an ancient gladiator felt when they first walked into the colosseum in Rome, it would mirror exactly what he felt right now as he tried to pull his tired body to its feet. Adrenaline pumping in anticipation, fear rising with every breath, and the knowledge that your life was worthless in the eyes of the game maker hit him hard. But he wasn't going to let them win. If he was going to die, he was going to put up one hell of a fight before they finally put him out of his misery.

His eyes landed on his opponent, grinning malevolently at him as he unsteadily readied himself and squared up, bringing his fists up to protect his face. His wounded leg was shaking and hurt like the knife had never been removed, but it held...though unstable.

The viper ran at him without saying a word. Somehow, though he didn't know quite how, he managed to scoot out of the way mere seconds ahead of the all out collision. The Viper fell to the ground through sheer momentum and the crowd cheered his failure. He was on his feet quickly, his grin replaced with anger and he tried again. And again, through absolute instinct, Dean managed to get out of the way.

"Stop that!" The Viper growled.

Dean couldn't hold in the laugh, "Do you really think I'm going to just _let_ you kill me? Work for it, bitch!"

The Viper snarled loudly before charging one more time. This time, though he did manage to sidestep him, the viper put out an arm and shoulder tackled Dean to the dirt, knocking the air from his lungs from the force. The crowd gasped, and so did Dean...mainly for air.

He had no time to recover, no time to catch his breath before the Viper was pulling him to his feet only to land a quick right hook to his face, sending him off balance and onto his stomach. His nose was now bleeding, he could feel it dripping. Again, with little time to recover, the Viper had a knee in his back and an arm around his neck, pulling his upper body at an awkward angle and making breathing extremely difficult.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you, Ambrose." The man whispered into his ear as he fought for breath.

Dean needed to get out of this hold or he was going to pass out. His vision was already beginning to get hazy at the edges. So he did what any man would do in an unfair fight, he bit Orton on the forearm...hard. It had the desired effect as the Viper yelped in pain and released the hold. Dean threw back an elbow and caught him in the jaw, sending him off his back completely. Again, the crowd was cheering.

A quick glance at Helmsley in his box and Dean grinned. He was royally pissed off and trying desperately to hide it. Good.

He hobbled to his feet, clutching his bad leg. God it hurt with every step, but he pressed forward. While the viper was down, Dean charged at him, tackling the other man to the dirt and sending them both rolling until Dean managed to gain the upper hand. He landed punch after punch to Orton's face, trying to wear him down, force his eyes to swell and his nose to bleed. Anything to hinder his sharp movements.

It worked, for a while. Then the Viper somehow got his leg around Dean and pulled him off at an awkward angle and held him there, exposing his entire body to damage. The Viper took full advantage and landed a sharp blow to Deans midsection. He definitely felt a crack as one of his ribs gave way under the force. Then, in a move that would be considered low by any standards, the Viper stuck his thumb into the wound in Dean's leg. He screamed in fresh pain as again blood flowed freely.

Then he kicked Dean away to clutch at his leg and writhe in agony on the dirt. That was it, his leg was now useless. He tried to pull himself up, only to fall back down into the dirt. It wasn't just the leg that was hindering him. The weeks worth of beatings, lack of food and water, and blood loss were taking their heavy toll. He was tired. So tired. Adrenaline could only take you so far before the body just gives out.

Then he saw it. He knew the man would have a knife on him and there it was, gleaming menacingly in the hand of the Viper. Fuck. All Dean could do was crawl as Orton advanced on him. The foot to his back pushed him down into the dirt. It was replaced quickly by a knee. Then there was a sharp, excruciating pain in his shoulder. The Viper had stabbed him. He cried out despite himself.

It wasn't a death blow, it wasn't meant to be. It was meant to damage and inflict pain. It did the job very well. He pulled it out and Dean cried out again. Then, the pain moved to his back as he ran the blade across his shoulder blades, leaving a long, bleeding gash. Then he did it again along Dean's lower back.

He flipped Dean onto his back and the pain from fresh contact to the wounds took his breath away. The viper grinned at his agony, and Dean knew he was going to inflict more. With one knee on his chest to hold him still, he used the other to force Deans left arm out at his side and used his foot to plant his wrist to the dirt. In one swift movement, he drove the blade through Dean's hand. It passed right through and imbedded into the dirt below. He knew it was coming, he knew it was going to hurt like hell, but there was no way to brace himself for just how bad it would be so he screamed in agony.

The Viper climbed off of him and stood over his victim like the triumphant victor he knew he would be, leaving the knife and Dean's hand stuck to the floor.

"You lost, Ambrose." He laughed and stepped on the hilt of the knife, driving it further into the earth and forcing a hiss of pain from Dean. "I expected more from you."

"Get him to his knees." Hunter announced through the speaker system. "Bring out the other one, I want him to see this."

Dean yelped as the knife was pulled from his hand and Orton forces him up onto his knees, pressing the knife to his jugular and holding it there. Roman came into view and they forced him to his knees in front of Dean. He looked horrified so Dean could only imagine what he looked like. Probably bloody and defeated. At least, that's how he felt.

He gave his friend his best apologetic smile. He was so sorry for everything that would happen. Everything that had happened. Why didn't Roman just let him do this alone? Not that Dean wouldn't have done the exact same thing if the roles were reversed, but Roman was a good man. He was deserving of so much more than this.

 _Ambrose! Ambrose! Ambrose!_

He looked around in confusion at the sound of his name being repeated over and over. Was the crowd chanting for him? That had never happened before. Never.

He looked up at Helmsley. He was just as shocked. He tried to appease them, tried to calm the growing unrest in the crowd as they chanted over and over again.

Then...the thumbs up. Holy shit he got a thumbs up! He laughed. He couldn't help it. He laughed loudly and obnoxiously. The crowd had forced Hunter's hand! He would live to see another day. And so would Roman as his name was thrown into the raucous chanting. So he laughed louder. He had won this round at least. He and Roman were forced to the ground and cuffed with the intent to bring them back into holding.

The explosion at the prisoners entrance caused everyone to stop in their tracks.

* * *

A/N: This was awhile in coming. I just couldn't get back into the mindset to write it. **Smalls, MsConCon, Nangel4, and Sass-Cupcake** , thank you for the reviews! **Sass-cupcake** , I'm curious, what are these headcannons you speak of? I'd like to know :)


	7. Rollins Rollins Rollins

He coughed as dust and dirt filled his lungs. With his arms cuffed behind him, he had no way of shielding his face and head from the debris. Then there was the ringing in his ears. Everything sounded muffled and distant as he opened his eyes. All he could see was a cloud of dust where the prisoners entrance used to be.

Then he remembered Roman. A quick glance in front of him and Roman was splayed on his back, coughing and trying to lift himself up. He was alive. Thank god.

Hands were on him again, lifting him from his stomach to his feet. He cried out at the movement, his wounds screaming. An arm wrapped around his throat and squeezed, very close to cutting off his air supply, forcing him to face the prisoners entrance as the dust began to clear. He knew it was The Viper using him as a human shield. What a pussy.

He saw the hat first. His red Cincinnati Reds cap stood out against the falling brown dust. Then the half blonde mass of curls beneath came into view, followed by the determined face of Seth Rollins. Where did he get those guns? They had never used firearms before. It didn't matter. Seth had come to their rescue. He had a rifle pointed toward The Viper and a grin on his face that spoke volumes on what he was capable of. There were others with him, a lot of others, some of which Dean recognized, others he didn't.

Then there were the people in the crowd, the ones who had been chanting his name we're now chanting _Rollins, Rollins, Rollins_. They were forcefully shaking the fencing that surrounded the cage, trying to bring it down around them. How long had this been planned? How long had Seth been going behind his back to raise an army of people willing to kill. That's not what Dean wanted. Not at all.

"Step aside, Rollins." The viper screamed over the noise. "I'm walking out of here."

Seth grinned dangerously, raised the gun, and fired. Dean felt the tug against his neck as Randy's head snapped back and pulled him to the ground along with the now dead viper. He fell on his back and the pain radiated from the wounds, enough to take his breath away. But, he knew enough to roll out of the now lifeless grasp of Randy Orton.

He felt hands on him again and immediately panicked, kicking out and thrashing. It wasn't until he heard Paige's determined voice scold him did he calm down. "Quit it, Dean! It's me!"

"Paige?"

"Jesus, what did they do to you?" She said, more to herself, as she rifled around in Randy's pockets until she found the handcuff key and quickly released his arms. He groaned as even the slightest movement caused immense pain now that his adrenaline was beginning to wane.

"What is going on, Paige?" He asked her as she helped him unsteadily to his knees.

She didn't answer right away, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, enough for him to wince against her. "I'm so glad we got here in time."

He didn't quite know what to do. She wasn't the affectionate type, at least in so far as he remembered. But, here she was, holding him tightly. So, what did he do? He wrapped an arm around her slender waist and pulled her closer. That is until he remembered where they were.

"Roman." He breathed into her ear and pulled her away slightly. A glance at him and Dolph was already at his side, lifting the Samoan to his feet and supporting him with his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief and again pulled her close. They had been saved.

"Helmsley!" Seth screamed and drew everyone's attention. "Surrender!"

Hunter grinned and looked down at the situation unfolding from his box. He didn't regard Seth, but rather looked at Dean. "I'm a little impressed at this turn of events, Ambrose."

Dean eyed him dangerously and, with the assistance of Paige, pulled himself unsteadily to his feet. A quick glance to his left and Seth was standing there, determination and anger playing in his dark eyes. Dean grinned, knowing he now had the upper hand. He made a move to reply to the Authority leader, but was interrupted by Seth. "Dean isn't running this operation anymore. I am."

Dean's head snapped to look at Seth in shock. He was speechless. For the first time in his life, he was actually speechless.

Hunter openly laughed, "Looks like there's some dissention in your ranks, Ambrose. Maybe I got the wrong man."

"I'm taking them out of here, Helmsley." Seth spat. "Then I'm coming back for you. I'll have your head on a stick in no time."

"Seth!" Dean snapped. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Seth motioned for Paige to get Dean out of the Cage. She gently guided the wounded man, even if he did fight her slightly. Dolph followed closely with Roman, the rest of the militants close behind him.

The entire time, the amused grin never shifted from Helmsley's face.

* * *

Dean hissed in pain as Paige gently dabbed his back with antiseptic. She handed him a bottle of whiskey and eyed it, then her, confused. She grinned at him, "Pain killer."

He tried to laugh, but resigned himself to twisting the cap off and taking a long swig of the amber liquid. It burned going down, but it burned so good. He wiped his mouth with the back of his bloody hand and sighed, "I guess I should have seen this coming."

"What coming?" She asked, threading a needle and sterilizing it with a lighter.

"Seth." He answered. "He's never really been a fan of my methods. I just never would have taken him for a mutineer."

"This is gonna hurt." She said and positioned the needle at the first wound, the one across his back. He yelped when the needle broke skin and again took a drawl from the bottle as she began to stitch him up.

"I mean, how did he even manage to do all this without my knowledge?" He continued, talking more to himself than Paige. Again he drank from the bottle. "He took over what I was trying to do, which was help people, and turned it into a rebellion."

"You're both doing the same thing, just differently." She offered as she worked.

He shook his head, "No. He raised an army behind my back. That's not the same thing. It's easier for a few to go undetected rather than go in, guns blazing."

"It saved you, didn't it?"

He laughed, "Yeah, well, maybe I was better off dead."

She stuck him particularly hard and he yelped again. "Don't say that. If you were dead this place would go to shit."

"It's already gone to shit." He said. "What's the difference if I'm here or not?"

"You've helped a lot of people, Dean. They look up to you. Seth might be louder, but you're still the face of this operation."

He paused and took her words in, "Thank you."

"Besides," she continued. "Who would I be if I followed that dipshit around like a little puppy? You're the cuter dipshit anyway."

He laughed and took another drink from the bottle, "I'm not cute. I'm manly and rugged."

"Well, manly and rugged, you're gonna have a hell of a road ahead of you." She said and continued stitching. "Your job is to heal and then give Seth a piece of your mind."

He looked at the bottle and chuckled, "Enough of this stuff and I won't need to heal before I do that." Then he thought for a moment. "How is Roman?"

"He is in much better shape than you." She answered. "He's talking to Seth now."

"Without me!?"

He made a move to get up but she pushed him back down. "No fighting until I finish this!"

"Fine." He huffed. "But no promises once you're done."


	8. With Me or Against Me

"This was not the way to go about this, Rollins." Roman said as he took a seat across from Seth in the common area of their hideout, wincing as his tired body bent into the uncomfortable folding chair.

Seth emotionlessly watched Roman for a long moment before he even ventured to speak on his comment. He didn't have to answer to the big Samoan, he didn't have to answer to anyone now. He was his own man, a leader, the type of leader Dean should have been from the get go. This covert sneaking behind the authorities back was only going to work for a short time before they had to change their tactics to make a real change. If Dean wasn't going to do what needed to be done, he would.

"I think that you and Dean wouldn't be here if I didn't do what I did." He stated.

"And we thank you for that." Roman sighed and ran a hand through his black hair. "You know we aren't soldiers, right? The Authority will crush this little rebellion you've got going."

Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his annoyance level with Roman began to grow. He didn't ask him for anything. In fact, he would prefer if he and Dean just disappeared and let him do what needed to be done. Sadly, he knew he needed Dean. The people needed someone to rally behind and that was Dean Ambrose, it always had been. Call it jealousy, anger, whatever, but Seth knew he would always be in Ambrose's shadow and that pissed him off.

When he opened his eyes, Romans accusatory face was still watching him in silent judgement. "I don't have to explain myself to you, Roman." He said. "We needed a change and that's what I did."

Roman leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his arms in front of him. It reminded Seth of a father about to scold a rebellious child. "You realize you've started a war, right?" He whispered so only he and Seth were privileged to the conversation.

Seth mirrored Roman and leaned elbows to his knees before smirking knowingly, "Good."

"What happened to you, Seth?" Roman asked in disbelief. "You used to be with us, now you're some radical leader?"

He stood quickly, the chair toppling over from the force, "We need radical leaders, Roman! The food trucks are gone. We have nothing to steal anymore. What else would you propose we do?"

"SETH!"

He heard his name screamed through their hideout and he didn't have to guess to know who it was. "SETH ROLLINS! Get your ass out here!"

"He's not happy with you." Roman said with a grin.

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I figured."

He stepped into view to find Dean drinking from a bottle and Paige trying to get him to calm down. "Dean, stop it." She said, pushing at his chest.

"I will not!" He slurred, taking another drawl from the almost empty bottle. Then his eyes met Seth's and he pointed an angry finger directly at the younger man, "I want to talk to you!"

Seth gave his former leader a once over look before shaking his head in disgust, "You're drunk."

"You bet your ass I'm drunk!" He yelled back. "I've got a bone to pick with you, Rollins."

"I won't have this conversation with you like this." Seth stated with a shake of his head, turning to walk away. "Talk to me when you're sober."

Dean grabbed him by the shoulder and flipped him around, pushing him until his back connected hard with a concrete wall. "No, you're going to listen to me now, you mutinous bastard! Do you have any idea what you've done? Hm? Do you even _care_ how many people are going to die?"

Seth tried to push Dean off of him and, though he stumbled back slightly from the alcohol, his forearm was back at Seth's throat. He knew Dean was strong, but he never realized just how strong he was until he was drunkenly crushing his windpipe.

"I worked really hard to get this operation where it was." He muttered before finishing off the bottle and tossing it aside, the glass shattering and barely missing Roman, who was now on his feet. He took a few steadying breaths, swaying unsteadily, before continuing. "You were supposed to be different, Seth."

"Different?" Seth responded with an inquisitive tilt of his head. "What do you mean by 'different'."

Dean let go of Seth with a shove. "You were supposed to care who lived and who died. You were supposed to give a shit."

Seth looked away from Dean, finding it easier to not make eye contact with him. The disappointed look on Dean's face was too much to take. He knew he had done the right thing, right? It didn't matter now, the damage had been done, the first blow struck. There was no turning back. When he finally did look at Dean, he set his jaw in determination and pushed past him without another word.

"Don't walk away from me!" Dean yelled after him.

Seth turned around quickly, enough for Dean to jump slightly in surprise. "You know what?" He spat at him but Dean's face remained angry. "I saved your life today. Did your drunk ass forget that? But no, you come out here yelling and screaming at me for doing what needed to be done. There are no more trucks, Dean. There's nothing now. We have to fight back at the authority any way we can. Everyone rallied behind you today because I told them to. This has been months in the making and you and your Samoan bodyguard won't stop it...or me." He stepped up close to Dean, so close their noses were almost touching. "So here's the deal. You're either with me or against me. If you're with me then we'll take the authority down MY way. If you're against me, well then I have no choice but to regard you as one of them."

"Are you calling me a traitor?" Dean seethed through gritted teeth.

Seth smirked and stepped back, letting Dean think about what he said. "Go sober up. You're a terrible drunk."

He lunged at Seth, swinging at his face. The younger man easily sidestepped the inebriated failings of Dean Ambrose, who would have fell to the ground if it weren't for Roman. The samoan lead, but mainly dragged, the still yelling man back to where Paige was patching him up. Seth watched them with indifferent awareness that Dean's feelings wouldn't change with his sobriety. He didn't care, he stood by his words. If Dean wasn't with him, then he was against him. That would be the biggest mistake he would make.

* * *

 **A/N: Quick little chapter to get a sense of what Seth is willing to do. Thanks for all the reviews so far. I love you all. Keep em' coming!**


	9. Next Time I see you, we're Enemies

Hangovers suck. Yeah, they're supposed to, but damn if they didn't strike with a vengeance. Dean knew he would be hungover after finishing off that last bit of whiskey. Funny thing was, he didn't really care. He welcomed the throbbing in his head, the regret, and the fuzzy memories. He welcomed it all because what else did he have? All the work he had done for the people and they turned on him so quickly. Everything he did, everything he would have continued to do was forgotten when his supposed friend mutinied. Hell, the way he felt, he even welcomed the pain in his back thanks to The Viper.

He didn't remember passing out, nor did he really care. Wherever he was now was soft and warm. In all honesty, he'd woken up in worse places in his time. He was lying on his stomach, his head on something soft and his body draped in cloth. A bed. He was in a bed. Peeking one bleary eye open, he realized, with a groan, that it wasn't his bed. He was facing a wall, but not his own in the train car he and Roman shared. He was staring at painted concrete blocks, not rusted metal. Picking his throbbing head up, he looked around the almost bare room until his eyes fell on a mass of black hair lying next to him, snoring. "Paige?"

Quickly he took stock of his state of dress; no shirt but thankfully he was still wearing his jeans. "Oh thank god." He whispered to himself.

It wasn't that he didn't think about sleeping with Paige, but he held her to a higher standard than the other women. Paige was different, better, and didn't take his shit. He didn't want to love and leave her, he didn't want things between them to be weird. If anything, he'd want that moment, should it ever happen, to be special and not some drunken one night stand.

Seemingly sensing his state of wakefulness, she turned over and snuggled into him. He liked how her body seemed to fit so perfectly next to his. She hadn't opened her eyes yet and he found himself staring and wondering how this unexpected, but not unpleasant, turn of events happened. The last thing he remembered was Seth walking away from him. In all actuality, he couldn't remember much of the conversation they had had. All he remembered for sure was that he was so angry. Alcohol didn't help the situation.

Her eyes opened slowly and she groggily stretched out her body. Then she noticed him and jumped in surprise. "Oh Jesus! Did we…?"

He shook his head, "I don't think so. I still have my pants on."

She looked down at herself and sighed in relief after realizing she was fully clothed. He found himself a little hurt at her reaction. Did she not think of him the same way he thought of her? Sure, he could ask her, but what would be the point? So he left it at that, a silent 'what if'.

He groaned and winced as he tried to move off of his stomach and into a sitting position. She stopped him, pressing him back down gently and sternly instructing him to wait. He complied without any protest.

He watched her as best he could from his prone position. She quickly jumped out of bed and came back with a bowl of water and some fresh bandages. Kneeling next to him on the mattress, he hissed as she gently pulled the dressing off his wounds. "Oh hush, you big baby."

He smiled, genuinely, and let her remove the blood soaked gauze. "So," he began, needing something to fill the silence "how, uh, how did I get...you know…"

"In my bed?"

He nodded and winced as she began dabbing his stitches with a wet cloth. He could just about see the flush of her cheeks and the upturn of her mouth as she answered, "Well, you drank...a lot. You assaulted Seth. You screamed at him when he... Then, uh, you asked to sleep in my bed with me. It all happened really fast actually."

"What did he do?" He asked, referencing what she obviously was hesitant to say.

She sighed and sat back on her haunches, allowing him to prop himself onto his elbows to look at her better. "He...he said that if you weren't with him, he would have to regard you as one of them."

"He called me a traitor." It was a statement, not a question. He vaguely remembered that word getting said. He let that sink in. He knew he was going to have to talk to Seth today. He didn't think he could make amends, but maybe his sober self could talk some reason into him. But he would still have to keep his sober self from punching him in the nose.

He supposed he did owe Seth his life. He could still feel the blade as it sliced across his back, the sensation of the metal as it plunged through the flesh of his palm, and the fear as it rested precariously against his jugular, ready to strike him dead. The last place he would ever want to be again is in the hands of the Authority. So, yes, Seth's tactics saved his life and the life of his best friend. But did that excuse what would happen if they kept this up? Hunter wasn't going to sit back and let himself look bad and that's exactly what Seth had done. He would strike back at them ten fold and, though he thought otherwise, Seth was wildly unprepared for what would come.

"What are you going to do?" Paige asked him quietly and he looked into her concerned brown eyes. He didn't know. He didn't know what would happen.

He studied her eyes for a long moment before answering her simple question with a question of his own. "What do you think I should do?"

* * *

"Hey. What are you reading?"

Seth looked up from the pages of the book in his lap to find Dean watching him in curious interest. He noted how the usually handsome man stood not quite as tall as he used to as he favored one leg over the other, his face was bruised and swollen in spots, and his arm and hand were wrapped in fresh white gauze. He looked like he had been through held up the book so he could see the front cover and the blonde laughed, "1984. Fitting."

"Have you read it?" The younger man asked skeptically. He never took Dean for a reader; he never took Dean as much of anything really. Sure, he was smart, cunning, and the people loved him, but he was also not what would be expected of a leader. At least in Seths mind that was the case.

Dean leaned against the doorway and winced as his body moved in such a way as to pull at the stitches in his back. "Despite popular belief, I'm not a lumbering Neanderthal."

Seth rolled his eyes, "Are you here for a reason?"

Dean shifted away from his usually cocky demeanor, his face downcast and wistful. "I want to thank you. You saved my life yesterday. If we would have had to fight again…"

"You're welcome." Seth interrupted, but there was no emotion behind it. Nothing but a stony acceptance of Deans unusually heartfelt thank you as he looked back to the book in his hand.

This caused Dean to laugh. No matter what he did, Seth was going to act like a stranger? They had been through so much together and he was treated like trash to be dismissed. "I'm trying to thank you, man."

Seth never looked up, "And you did. Do you feel better about yourself?"

"I feel like kicking your ass, but I'll contain myself."

Now Seth looked at him, a smile playing on his lips even as the former leader scowled at him. "That didn't stop you yesterday when you drowned yourself in a bottle of whiskey."

"You won't get an apology if that's what you're looking for."

"No, I wouldn't expect one from you." He retorted caustically.

Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head, "You really are a piece of work. Everything we've been through and you are going to treat me like the scum of the earth?"

"If the shoe fits…"

Dean set his jaw, trying to reign in his growing frustration. He wanted nothing more at this very moment than to ring Seth's neck until his eyes popped out of their sockets. "You don't want this to be a war between you and me."

"It already is." Seth seethed, standing now and facing his former friend. Dean didn't back down, didn't flinch as he got right up in his face with hatred and malice dripping off every word that left his mouth. "I told you I was going to do this my way. Having slept on it, I think you're more of a liability than a help. You should leave."

Dean smirked knowing such a reaction would get under Seth's skin. Based on the way he clenched his jaw, he had succeeded. "You want to make this into some fucked up turf war? You got it. But keep in mind, I don't play fair. Next time I see you, you're my enemy."

"I agree." Said Seth. "Now, get out. And take your giant Samoan with you."

* * *

"What do you mean he kicked us out?!" Roman bellowed through the quiet of the train car. Dean had broken the news to his brother in arms that their friend had told them both to leave.

Dean was still fuming himself, trying to reign in the bubbling hatred for someone he would have given everything for. Someone who was supposed to have his back. Someone who now would just as quick stab him in the back as look at him. "You heard me." He growled his response and angrily threw what little possessions he had into a backpack. "Little weasel wants to play leader? Let him."

"You know if you leave him to his own devices, he and half this city will be dead within 6 months."

"I'm aware."he replied without looking at Romans concerned face. "I never said I was leaving the city? I'm not just going to let him run these people into the ground."

"What are you going to do then?"

He shrugged and winced at the movement, "No clue. All I know right now is I'm fucking useless until I heal up better."

Roman sat on Dean's cot in order to look at him properly. "Look, what happened to you in the Cage…"

"I don't want to talk about the Cage, Roman."

"But…"

Dean slammed his good hand down on his pile of clothes and Roman clamped his mouth shut. "I said, I don't want to talk about the Cage. I want to forget everything about last week. Last week, everything was so simple, now it's all kinds of fucked up. I want to move forward. Understood?"

Roman nodded.

"Good. Now where is my Cincinnati Reds hat?"

"Seth must still have it."

Dean groaned and ran his hand through his unruly hair. "He can fucking keep it."

* * *

 **well, I feel like this is a long time coming. It's been a while, but here's the latest installment. Please review and let me know what you think. Hearts to all!**


	10. Loyalty?

**A/N: well, this has been a while in the making, but I've finally gotten around to updating it. Please continue to let me know what you think. I really enjoy getting feedback!**

* * *

He took a deep breath and gave one last look at the home he had carved out for himself and his friends after everything had gone to shit. A home he was now being banished from by one of those he would have counted as one of his closest advisors. He supposed Seth may have been playing him from the get go - a notion that frustrated him more than he would let on. So, his former friend, and now enemy, would take over where he left off in a coup that surprised even him. Seth made it abundantly clear that he wanted to sever ties completely. Not that he minded at this point, but he knew Seth would not be able to do this alone. It took Dean a year to build the small network of friends and supporters before the city adopted him as their savior. And how they had turned on him. They would turn on Seth too if he wasn't careful.

So, where did that leave him now?

"Dean, let's go." Roman said somberly at his side. He nodded to his friend, the only one he would trust at this point. He and Roman now shared a common trauma and that wasn't something that broke a bond quite as easily.

He shouldered his small bag of belongings and winced as it brushed against his back. The pain would remind him of Paige. She took the time, albeit short, to treat his mangled back. She comforted him when he drank himself into a stupor. She stayed with him while he felt sorry for himself. Now he was going to leave her without so much as a goodbye.

He followed Roman into the sewer that would lead to the street. The pair walked in silence for what felt like an eternity, each contemplating their own future at this new turn of events. There was no sound between them except the sloshing of their feet and their own breathing.

He wondered what he would say to Roman anyway. 'Hey man, sorry I almost got you killed and I'm really sorry I got us banished' didn't seem like it would cut it. But, to his credit, Roman took it all with the stoic acceptance he had come to expect from his friend. But, deep down, he knew Roman blamed him for everything even if he wouldn't admit it. How could he not?

Maybe he should have died at the hand of the viper. Maybe that was what he deserved.

"Stop." He heard at his side and glanced up at Roman as the man looked him in the eye. Even in the dark of the sewer, Dean could see the determination on Roman's face. "Stop beating yourself up over something you had no control of."

He sighed and continued walking, ignoring the statement. He didn't need a pep talk. He didn't need to look in his friend's eyes and see the accusations and building blame. But Roman wasn't going to let him sulk away. He grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face him, even as Dean yelled at the fresh pain spreading through his injured body. No, Roman made him look at him. "You will not do this to yourself, or me."

"Do what?" He asked with a defeated sigh, knowing what his friend meant but to tired of everything to acknowledge any of it.

He heard Roman growl but couldn't bring himself to care how angry he made the large Samoan. "Dean, this is not the time to give up and that is exactly what you are doing."

"So what if I am?" He said angrily and took a few steps away. "So what if I decide I'm done with everything? Huh? So what if we're about to spend the rest of our short lives being hunted like animals by the Authority? So what if Seth has abandoned us to suffer alone as we're picked off? Give me a reason to care!"

He was hysterically shouting by the time he finished his rant but didn't care. He was done. He was done with all of it.

Roman closed the gap between them and scowled at him. "You want a reason?" He said through clenched teeth. "Fine. How about all those people who still look for you to help them? How about the friends who are still loyal to you? How about me?"

He looked down at his feet covered to the ankle in muck and grime. He didn't want to look Roman in the eye anymore because he knew he could never live up to the standards he was given. "Look, I almost got you killed."

"But I'm still here, yelling at you like always."

Dean shoved Roman back and he stumbled a few paces in shock. "You don't understand, if I would have died in that cage, you were next. You know they weren't going to let us live. We were fucked!"

"We were fucked as soon as they called you out and you know it!"

"Yes, they called _ME_ out." he snapped.

Roman laughed and shook his head in disbelief, "It's funny how you think this is just about you."

That took him aback and he straightened up in surprise. Roman didn't say anymore. He walked past Dean in the dark, leaving him open mouthed and staring at the empty space his friend formerly occupied.

"Are you coming?" Roman called back at him and a part of him wanted to say no and run screaming in the opposite direction. But the other part, the much larger part, swallowed his anxiety and shifted the bag on his shoulder with a wince before turning to follow his friend.

They didn't really know where they were going, but Dean was thankful that he at least wasn't alone. Despite his misgivings about his own place in the fucked up world, Roman stayed by his side- his conscience and compass.

It was an hour later before they emerged into the street above. The hustle and bustle of the city masked their presence, but Dean still lifted the hood over his head and shifted deeper into his leather jacket. Roman, on the other hand, stood tall, almost daring someone to recognize them. A quick nudge from Dean and the older man quickly donned a knit cap and sunglasses. They had decided in the sewer that they would make their way to Romans cousins. The twins, Jimmy and Jey, would hopefully be able to hide them until they could figure out their next move.

The pair entered the crowd and were thankfully unrecognized as they moved through the streets toward the small open market. In the early morning hours, the place would be bustling with those looking to gather what little food would be available for purchase at exorbitant prices. That couldn't be helped and Dean knew that, but it never ceases to amaze him just how bad things had become.

A small garrison of Hunters men were patrolling the market, pulling people aside and questioning them only to push them away forcefully when they gave them no information of worth. One was headed directly toward them and Dean gave Roman the signal to split up. Though he seemed ready to protest, the Samoan gave a curt nod and walked off in the opposite direction. It was silently understood at this point that they would meet at the twins place once they were through the market.

However, Dean was now curious about what exactly they were trying to get info about. Again adjusting the hood on his head, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked toward the small band of guards, stopping short at an apple stand and making a show of studying the meager selection of sickly looking fruit. From here, he could hear them talking amongst themselves.

"Hunter is not going to be happy if we come back empty handed again." One said in a thick Irish brogue. "He's going to cut out rations down like he always does."

He heard another man hit the Irishman lightly, "Stop worrying about Hunter right now. Let's just do what we came here to do."

The pair moved to just behind Dean and he tensed up automatically. Directly to his left they pulled a woman who had been inspecting an apple and made her turn to face them with a yelp of surprise. For a split second, Dean almost made a move to help her but stopped himself from interfering. Rather he turned his hooded head slightly away so his face was more concealed.

"Have you seen the outlaws Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins?" The Irishman asked harshly.

"N-no!" She stammered, frightened. "I-I haven't!"

Dean growled low in his throat louder than he had anticipated and had to cover it with a cough. He could almost feel the eyes shift to him and he cursed himself silently.

"What about you?" The other asked, obviously directing the question at him.

Thinking quickly, Dean answered, changing the pitch of his voice and adding a slight southern accent. "I ain't seen those sons of bitches! The pair of 'em deserve everything coming their way!"

"You're damn right they do!" The Irishman added. They pushed the poor woman back against the cart and moved away.

That's when Dean looked at her. Her eyes met his and widened as recognition set it. He pushed a finger against his lips for her to stay quiet and grinned before handing her what little money he had left. It wasn't much, but maybe she could provide for her family something better than feeble, half rotten apples. She took it with gratitude and moved off with a small thank you.

So, the Authority had added Seth to their list of public enemies. Well, the list only consisted of two people. But that didn't bother Dean. What bothered him was the fact that Seth was now more prominently on their radar. Despite their current situation, no one was going to hurt Seth other than Dean. He still held some sick sense of loyalty to the man and he almost hated himself for it.

* * *

Paige hated him. She hated him and she had feelings for the lunatic, a realization she had come to not long after she realized he was gone. Figure that one out. He just left. He said nothing to anyone, nothing to her. That's what bothered her more than anything. He just left her here to deal with Seth's increasingly power hungry speeches.

"We should hit them hard." He said to his small group of men that included Dolph and others she did not recognize. "Take them out at the source."

"That's not what Dean would do." She found herself saying aloud and not caring who looked at her in surprise. She held Seth's gaze, knowing he was the one she meant to direct that statement.

A small grin lifted the corners of his mouth, "Dean isn't here, is he? He left us all to fend for himself like the coward he is."

She knew he was lying, trying to get his men to move away from Dean and view him as the de facto leader of their small uprising. They held each other's gaze for a long time, daring each other to speak. When she didn't move to say anything else, he turned his attention back to his rebellion.

She couldn't listen to him anymore and, with a noise of disgust, she stood and loudly knocked her chair over, again forcing all eyes to shift to her. But she moved away before anyone could say anything.

She couldn't be around Seth anymore and immediately went to her small space and pulled a backpack from under her makeshift bed before throwing her meager belongings into it. She would go find Dean.

"Where are you going?" She heard him ask from the doorway. "You can't leave."

She rounded on him and forced a mocking smile onto her face, "And why not, Seth?"

He looked down and his feet and shuffled them a bit, "Because we need you...I need you."

The laugh left her lips before she could stop it. She made a move to say something back to him, but he closed the gap between them in three long strides and took her face in his hands only to press his lips forcefully against hers.

She managed to push him away and stared in disbelief at him. "You do not get to kiss me."

"Paige, please stay with me." He said softly and took her hands in his softly. "I've had feeling for you for a long time. Which Dean gone I -"

"That's right." She interrupted and pulled her hands free. "Dean's gone. You banished him. I'm going to find him."

It was as if a sudden realization hit him and he made an 'oh' sort of sound when he finally figured it out. "You love him, don't you?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared daggers at the man who was now growing angrier by the second. She didn't have to answer him. He already knew what she was going to say and she didn't have to justify her feeling to Seth Rollins.

He snarled at her and she found herself taking a few steps back. He grabbed the closest object he could, the small radio she stole, and threw it against the far wall. The object shattered into a thousand pieces of black plastic and silver electronics as it connected, but she never took her eyes off of the fuming man in front of her.

"Why does he get everything?!" He shouted at her. "He get the fame, the glory...the girl! What does that leave me?! Huh?"

"You're pathetic." She scoffed at him and pushed past his fuming form and He grabbed her arm.

"Don't go."

She pulled her arm free and straightened out her jacket. "You know, Seth, he loved you like a brother. Maybe, just maybe, for the briefest of seconds, I loved you too. Now? Now you're nothing but a jealous dirtbag."

He chuckled at her, "Me? Jealous of Dean Ambrose?"

"You said it yourself, Seth." She said, voice no higher than a whisper. "He gets everything. But he also gives everything. He gave himself up for Becky, he risks his life every day to give back to the people who need him. What do you give?"

"Get out." He seethed. "Go be his groupie like you so desperately want. Go give yourself to him like the who-"

The crack of her hand hitting his face filled the space and his hand instantly flew to the stinging red mark forming quickly. Neither said a word. She had drawn her line in the sand and so had he.

She shouldered her bag and, with one last disgusted look, she left him seething behind her.


	11. I am going to cause a scene

She had a feeling she knew where the pair of wayward fugitives might go and she had every intention of meeting them at the twins' warehouse. Once at street level, it wouldn't take long to make her way through the market and to their door.

The entire interaction with Seth still had her furious. The nerve he had to assume that she would just want to be with him. Then the desperate kiss - Granted, it was a very good kiss. But he made her so angry she could barely contain it as the pressure of that rage filled her chest. What happened to Seth Rollins?

She had to find Dean. She needed to find Dean. There was no questioning herself now. Now she knew she loved him. But did he feel the same? Was this a futile effort for no payoff? Would he reject her?

She pushed the thought from her mind as she entered the marketplace, already overflowing with people. The workers were yelling over the noise their wares for the day and the prices, people were haggling to try and get a better deal than was was offered, and there was a sharp smell of bodies pressed up against each other intermingled with whatever food was being cooked somewhere amongst the stands. She didn't venture into the market much for this reason, but she also knew Dean and Roman would have to pass through to get to Jimmy and Jays.

So, she pressed through, pushing her way between the crowds while keeping her eyes open. She almost wanted to stop and ask if anyone had seen them, but she also knew the people of the market tended to keep their mouth shut for people they didn't trust. They trusted Dean, but she was another story.

Then she saw them, the small group of Helmsley's men intimidating their way through the bustling crowd. They were headed straight for her. She had a moment of panic, realizing she was in such a rush to get away from Seth that she had no way to conceal her face. They would know who she was if they had watched the Cage broadcast a few nights ago...which everyone did...because it was required.

A hand gripped her by the elbow and pulled her away from the crowd. "Hey!" She yelped, unable to directly see the person who grabbed her and now suddenly fearful a guard had noticed her standing there in a stupor. All she could see was the back of the hood of a man when she managed to turn around and she tried to pull away. He held fast and pulled her behind him into an alley away from the crowds, pushing her against a wall and holding her there while peering around a corner to make sure the coast was clear.

Then he looked at her and her eyes lit up, "Dean!"

He shushed her quickly, but there was definitely a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, even if he did look surprised at her presence. "What the fuck are you doing here, Paige?" He asked, a harsh tone present in his inflection.

"I came to find you." She answered truthfully.

"You should have stayed with Seth."

Just the mention of his name sent a disgusted shiver down her spine. The involuntary action did not go unnoticed and he tilted his head in concern. "What happened?"

She recounted to Dean what Seth had done, what he had said to her, and how she just couldn't be a part of his group any more. However, she intentionally left out her feelings for the man standing in front of her, looking at her in shocked aggravation.

"That son of a bitch." He snapped and she could see he was suddenly unable to keep still. It was a quirk of deans to move when he was angry, like all that energy needed to be released somehow. "I'll fuck him up, I swear.."

"Dean, he's planning to hit Helmsley again directly." She said quietly.

"When?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, but soon."

He sighed and leaned his forehead against the brick of the wall behind her, his body still close enough to touch hers. In that moment, it was a different kind of shiver that ran through her at his sheer proximity. Somehow, she mustered the courage to run a gentle hand down his forearm to softly ghost over the bandage around his hand. She was careful not to apply pressure to the wound, but deliberately touched his fingertips. When she looked up, his gaze was focused directly at her, a gaze she had never seen in him before. He wasn't pulling away but he wasn't pushing forward either. He was merely watching her face and gauging her actions.

That's when she stopped and pulled her hand away, "I'm sorry."

He cleared his throat and took a step back. The sudden absence of his warmth so close felt like someone had sucked all the breath from her.

"D-don't be." He said to her, not quite making eye contact. Was he...blushing? "C'mon, let's get out of here before we're spotted. Helmsley's goon squad is in rare form today."

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?" Roman snapped at him. The large man was obviously angry, his fists resting on his hips as he stared at Dean like a scolding parent.

Dean simply grinned, not appeasing the big man at all. "Sorry, I picked up a stray."

He pushed past Roman into the warehouse and Paige followed.

"What is she doing here?" Roman asked in surprise as he closed the door behind them and locked it only to follow them into the warehouse where Jimmy and Jey were lounging in the small loft above them.

"I told you he'd make it." Jimmy said to Jey with a playful smack to his shoulder. "Pay up!"

Jey sniffed his disappointment as he rifled in his pocket and slapped a one dollar bill into his brother's hand. In this new world, that dollar would be worth less than a penny compared to a few years ago. Dean knew that was simply a running joke between them. That very same dollar had passed back and forth since he had know them.

"Of course I made it." Dean called up to them with a laugh. "Did you ever doubt me?"

"Best not to ask, man." Jey answered with a chuckle and Dean feigned a hurt look.

The light hearted banter wouldn't last though. Roman was already standing in front of him. The big man was pretty quick for his size. "You didn't answer my question."

Dean's smile fell and he glanced back at Paige as she stood off to the side, her arms folded against her chest. Their eyes met and he felt his face flush slightly and his stomach flip at the thought of their encounter in the alley. The feeling intensified when she smiled.

He nodded his head toward Roman for her to tell him what she told Dean and her smile also disappeared. She told them exactly what she had told him, every detail save for her feelings toward Dean. She hadn't even told him that.

"So, little Sethie is getting brave, huh?" Jey said from their lofty perch. He held out his hand to his brother and again the dollar changed ownership. Dean almost asked what the bet was, but decided against getting into that conversation.

"What's our play then?" Roman asked as he searched deans face. The younger man could see that his friend was still looking for him to lead, despite his misgivings and anxiety. The way the big Samoan was looking into his eyes with a silent plea to give them some sort of hope almost had him running for the door.

Then he saw the same look in Paige's eyes, that lost puppy gaze that seemed to wash over him like a whirlwind. A thought struck him then, one he hadn't thought in a long time, one that scared him. People were still looking for him to lead, like he had always done. Who else was going to do it? Who else would do the things no one else could? Who else would give up everything?

His blue eyes met Romans again and the were a new sense of determination there, he could feel it. He wouldn't shrink away from what was expected of him like he so desperately wanted to. He wouldn't run and hide and let Seth run the city into the ground. A plan was beginning to form in his head, a plan that would most likely kill him.

"Dean?" Paige pressed from behind him and a smirk spread across his face.

Romans eyes widened in from of him as if he subconsciously knew Dean was about to do something incredibly stupid. "What are you going to do?"

The grin widened, "I, my friend, am going to cause a scene."


	12. A Dark Idea

A week. A week of peace and quiet is not what he expected or wanted. A week had gone by and there had been no sign of Dean Ambrose or Seth Rollins. They had gone into hiding and it didn't matter who they questioned, no one was giving them up.

Every hour those two troublemakers were left to their own devices is time they have to organize against him. He was currently expressing this displeasure by throwing Wade Barrett against a wall. The younger man's back connected with a loud 'thud' and he fell to the floor coughing and drawing in deep breaths. He knew he had knocked the wind out of him and, yet, couldn't bring himself to care. "I asked you to do ONE thing, Wade!" He seethed and stalked up to his cowering Captain of the Guard. "But you seem to be incapable of doing what I asked!"

"Sir, they have gone into hiding. They don't want to be found."

"OF COURSE THEY DON'T WANT TO BE FOUND, YOU IDIOT!" He screamed, slightly delighted as his captain flinched with every word. He knelt down to Barrett's level and regarded him with a deep scowl that he hoped conveyed how thin the ice Wade was standing on really was. "You have until the completion of the new Cage to have those two in custody or I'm going to have you publically shot. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Good." He stated and stood to his full height. "As motivation, I'm halving the food payouts to you and your men…"

"But, sir! We've already been halved once! We'll starve before we even find them!"

His expression darkened and he knew Wade immediately regretted his outburst. "Maybe if you all starve, I can find some competent people to work for me. Now, get out of my sight…"

* * *

Seth trudged through the dark sewer. He hated this fucking hideout. It smelled. All the refuse of the overcrowded city above ended up at his feet and he was tired of moving through it. This was Dean's idea, but he had to give him credit because it worked. That didn't make it any less unbearable.

He reached the predetermined meeting spot and sighed, annoyed. He was going to have to wait. It had been a horrible week so far, and now he had to wait? At least it wouldn't be too long.

"Seth." He heard. Wade Barrett was walking toward him with a disgusted look on his face. He was obviously unhappy with meeting in a sewer drain.

"You're late." He replied with a smirk at the roll of the captain's eyes.

"Regardless, can we get this over with?" Wade responded. "The less time I have to spend in this stinking sewer, the better."

"Well, you're the one who called me here." Laughed Seth, crossing his arms over his chest. "Talk."

"Hunter is stepping up his game." Wade began, shifting on his feet. In the dark Seth could see him worrying his bottom lip. Something happened and it wasn't good. "Our partnership has to end."

"What!?" Seth yelled, his voice echoing loudly off the stone walls causing Wade to shush him.

"Look, it's kill or be killed for me! I had to make a choice and I did!"

Seth could feel the anger rising in his chest. Not that he didn't have an inkling that something like this was going to happen, but he didn't expect I so quick. "What am I supposed to do?" He growled, flexing his fists at his side. "You want Helmsley out of the way as badly as I do."

The captain watched Seth's fists carefully before meeting his eyes again. "I'm sorry, Seth." He sighed and took a few steps back. "After this meeting, my job is to find you and Dean."

His jaw clenched, "Dean fucking Ambrose…"

Wade smirked, "is there trouble in paradise?"

"My partnership with Dean is over." He answered with a scowl. "He and I have gone our separate ways."

"Well, that's going to make my job more difficult." Said wade. "My deadline is…"

"Deadline?"

"Helmsley is rebuilding the Cage." He answered. "It's...deadlier. Not necessarily made for fights, but to make public examples. You and Dean are first participants. I'm sorry for what he's going to do to you two."

"Fuck."

"My advice to you would be to for you to put as much distance between yourself and this city as you can." Said wade somberly before nodding to Seth and leaving the same way he arrived with an "I'm sorry."

A thought began forming in seths head as he watched, something that could benefit him in the long run and he was nothing if not an opportunists. He also had something Helmsley would want; a bargaining chip.

He knew the location of Dean Ambrose.

* * *

"Jimmy told me they are rebuilding the Cage." Paige said from her position at the Usos small table. It was full of knick knacks and objects collected by the twins over the years, and quite obviously not meant to be an actual dining surface. "He went by there to see what was going on. They're making it bigger, deadlier."

Dean didn't even look up from his position on the twins uncomfortable, sunken in couch. He was playing with the bandage on his healing hand, trying to ignore the statement. She knew the Cage was a sensitive subject with him. He, essentially, was the only man to fight and survive. Roman tried to identify with him from time to time, but everyone knew it was different. Roman never actually fought. The week prior to the fight was the closest they would come to the same experience. Even now, casually mentioning the sick punishment, caused Dean great distress despite his obvious attempt to hide it. He was always very good at hiding it.

"Guess who they'll be gunning for to be the first fight?" He said with a small, almost amused, smirk.

She sighed and moved over to the couch, sitting next to him and turning her body so she was facing him. "Look, I know it was tough in there. If you need to talk about it…"

His blue eyes met hers quickly before looking down, and with a shake of his head, he gave his answer. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I didn't say 'if you want to talk about it'. I said if you need to talk about it."

"What we need to talk about is Seth and this power trip he's on." He said, changing the subject abruptly.

She could have pushed the matter, she could have pressed him to talk, but she didn't. She simply sighed and straightened herself out on the couch. She knew Seth was weighing pretty heavily on his mind, stressing him out more than usual. "Yeah."

A sudden pressure on her hand drew her attention down. Dean's hand was gently squeezing hers. He wasn't looking at her when she looked up, but she knew he was trying to convey the thank you he wouldn't, or couldn't, say out loud. She turned her hand so their fingers could interlock and they stayed like that in companionable silence for a long time. He heart was fluttering in her chest at the weight of his hand on hers, the closeness that seemed to be growing between them, and the feelings she had for the man that she would not reveal.

Yet, like before, when he broke away suddenly as The twins and Roman entered the warehouse, it was as if someone had taken a piece of her with it. He was off the couch in a flash, leaving her behind to join his comrades.

"What did you find out?"

Roman took a deep breath and ran a hand through his Raven hair, "Wade Barrett has apparently broken ties with Seth. I have a feeling Hunter must have threatened him enough for him to step up his game. They have guards everywhere looking for you and Rollins."

Dean smiled, slightly delighted in the small victory over Seth, "So Sethie boy has no inside man anymore."

"Yeah, man." Jey said. "He's on his own."

"Perfect."

Roman took Dean by the arm and pulled him to the side. "You need to tell us what your planning. How are we supposed to know what to expect."

Dean's grin widened, "Expect the unexpected, my friend. Unpredictability is key."

Roman sighed, obviously annoyed with Deans cryptic plans. "Dean, seriously…"

"I am being serious." Dean retorted. "The less you know, the less likely it is you'll get hurt. I will tell you what will happen when it's important for you to know."

"If you're planning something stupid…"

"Have you met me?" Dean laughed. "Of course I'm planning something stupid."


	13. You Have a Deal

"I want to talk to Helmsley!"

He was a bit surprised he was able to get as close to Authority Headquarters as he had. He anticipated being stopped a mile back. But, he was able to move right up to the entrance. He had tried the front door, curious how far he would be able to proceed, but, unsurprisingly, found it locked. He had knocked with no response...twice. A tad confused, he decided yelling at the top of his lungs was his next best option. He heard them approach from behind and held his hands up to show he was unarmed.

"Are you insane?" A familiar voice said. When he turned, Wade Barrett was eyeing him in puzzled confusion. "You willingly walked to the front doors of the people who want you dead?"

He smirked, knowing he would definitely have the upper hand here. "I want to talk to Helmsley."

"Yeah, we heard you the first five times." Wade stepped up to him and watched his reaction carefully before speaking again. This time it was a whisper, meant only for the two men facing each other. "Seth, this is the opposite of what we talked about."

"Yeah, it is." He retorted. "You know, I thought it over and I figure that maybe it's better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path."

He could see Wade was taken aback by his comment, "It really isn't. But, if you insist on this death wish…"

He forcefully grabbed the younger man and flipped him around before pushing him face first into the door and holding him there. His arms were wrenched behind his back and he felt the cold steel of handcuffs wrap around his wrist. "Easy guys!"

When he was flipped around again, Barrett's face changed to something more akin to sympathy. He wondered briefly if this was the wrong decision. But, having weighed out the pros and cons, he was confident this was the right choice if he wanted to survive. Isn't that what this all boils down to? Survival?

They dragged him through the compound, like he expected, as Barrett made a quick call on his walkie. He couldn't hold back the smirk. So far, his plan had worked out perfectly. The only variable that remained was Helmsley. He was either going to buy into what he said and grant him immunity, or he wasn't and he would do what he had planned in the first place and condemn him to the Cage. He didn't have to wait long to find out.

Rather than drag him to some holding area to stew, they took him directly to the office of Triple H. It was a lavish room. Furnished in expensive antique furniture that may or may not have been in a museum at one point, the room had the distinct feeling of power. Floor to ceiling windows cast light onto the white walls covered in artwork Seth was sure was stolen while Tiffany lamps provided the rest of the light, and a large bearskin rug glared up at him from the open space in front of the mahogany desk the man that caused all this sat behind. He didn't look angry or happy to see the rebel now being shoved to his knees in front of him, but he did look curious. He watched him for a long time with his hands folded neatly on his lap, gauging the younger man's reaction to him, and to his credit, Seth managed to keep eye contact with the tyrant with a smirk on his face.

"You are either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid." He began. "Which is it?"

Seth thought a moment on how he wanted to answer that. "I like to think of it as incredibly smart."

"Smart?!" Hunter laughed. "You think walking in here, demanding to talk to me when you're wanted as an outlaw, is smart?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did." Said Hunter, amused. He stood from behind the large desk and walked toward the handcuffed man in order to circle him. Seth was surprised how short he was. Had he not been on his knees, he was sure he would tower over him. But there was an air about him that spoke to the authority he actually had. He was quite obviously someone you didn't fuck with. "Mr. Rollins, you've made it abundantly clear by screaming at the front of this building that you wanted to talk to me. So talk."

Seth shook his head, "I want a guarantee first that I won't end up in the Cage that you've been rebuilding."

Hunter laughed openly, "You're making demands of me?! I don't think you're in any position to…"

"I have something you want." Seth interrupted and the room went silent. Hunter was now glaring down at him as if no one would dare to have the audacity to interrupt him like that. The man stood up straighter, pushing his chest out to make himself taller. It was a power move, Seth knew that. He also knew Hunter was intrigued. He could see it in his eyes.

"You have something I want?" He said after a moment. "And what is that?"

"I want my guarantee."

Hunter drew in a deep breath and let it out, obviously getting tired of this game. "Mr. Rollins, you are a known associate of Dean Ambrose. Hell, you broke him out of the Cage. What makes you think I would trust anything you say?"

Seth smirked again, "I know where Dean Ambrose is."

"And you'd give him up after freeing him? What do you take me for?"

"I think you're a smart man. One that I could see myself aligning with." He answered.

"What about Ambrose?"

"What about him?" Asked Seth with a shrug. "He and I have a different idea of how things should have been done. He means nothing to me. He was nothing but a business partner."

"And the others? The people you tried so desperately to save for so long?"

Seth made sure to make eye contact so Helmsley knew he was serious when he said, "They never did anything for me. I'm looking out for number one."

"What makes you think I won't just torture the information out of you?"

"Because why waste the manpower when I'm offering it to you for a simple guarantee?" Seth answered. "Work smarter, not harder, Hunter."

There was a long moment as Hunter pondered his offer. He could see the wheels turning in the older man's head, trying to figure Seth out and see if he could, indeed, trust what he had to say. Then, "Ok. You have your guarantee on one condition."

"What's that?"

Again Hunter began circling him, watching every action and reaction. "I know someone has been feeding you information from inside my headquarters. I want their name as well."

He didn't have to answer. One look at Wade told Hunter everything he wanted to know. He turned toward his captain and smiled. "I knew it."

Barrett shook his head, eyes wide with fear. "Hunter, wait…"

He didn't know where the gun came from, he hadn't seen an outline of it or a holster anywhere on his person, but there it was. Seth jumped as he fired one shot into Barrett's head and he crumpled to the floor in a heap. As quickly as it appeared, the gun was gone. He turned his attention to the large Irishman standing in shocked silence off to the side. "You! What's your name?"

The man hesitated, "Sh-Sheamus, sir."

"You're the new Captain of my guard." He said. "Uncuff and get rid of that body."

Then he turned his gaze to Seth and leaned down so he could look him in the eye, smiling triumphantly. "You have a deal." He sneered. "Now, about that information…"

* * *

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Jimmy yelled at Jey. "Superman was WAY better than Batman!"

"Man, you're crazy." Jey responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Batman is the only one to outsmart Superman! It's no contest, brother."

"Fine! We need a tiebreaker." Jimmy said. "Hey Dean?"

Dean turned from his conversation with Roman, "What?"

"Who's better? Superman or Batman?"

Dean lifted an eyebrow and looked at Roman in confusion, never quite clear as to where the twins come up with the conversations they had. However, he welcomed the distraction. "Batman, all the way."

Roman playfully slapped Deans good shoulder, "No way! Superman!"

Jimmy turned back to Jey with a triumphant smile, "See, Roman said Superman."

Jey rolled his eyes, "Number one, you asked Dean. Number two, he said Batman."

They continued to bicker in their loft, causing a smile to spread further on Dean's face. At least someone was able to keep a sense of carefree levity in such a horrible world. There haven't been comic books for years. Yet for those who remember them, the debate remained. It was enough of a distraction for many to remember the good days before the Authority took over. However, for Dean and Roman, the Authority was their prime business. It was all they talked about. In fact, it's what they were talking about now.

When Dean turned back to Roman, the playfulness of a few moments ago was gone, quickly replaced with the seriousness of the situation. The large Samoans face was worried and apprehensive, like it was a moment ago. "You keep avoiding my questions." He said. "Please, tell me what's going on."

Dean's smile fell, "Roman, I'm not going to keep having this conversation with you."

"Why?" He growled. "After what we've been through together? Why are you keeping me in the dark?"

"I told you what you needed to know." Answered Dean seriously. "If I told you anymore, you'd try to stop what's already in place."

"But what's already in place?"

Dean was silent.

"Oh right, phase one." He sighed. "You need to tell me something, man."

Again, Dean was silent. This time, Roman shook his head, done with dealing with Deans new secretive agenda. He grabbed his hat and sunglasses before heading toward the door. "Where are you going?" Dean called after him.

Roman turned for a brief second, "Out."

Dean watched him go, not making a move to follow him. He even flinched as his friend slammed the door behind him. He knew he was angry, and he wished he could tell him. But the less people who knew what was happening, the better. It was safer for everyone.

"What is the harm in telling Roman?" Paige asked. He hadn't heard her approach, but when he turned around she was leaning on the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. She was trying to seen stern, but he could see her face shift and brighten up when he looked at her. "What's the worst that can happen?"

He sighed and shook his head. "He can't know, just like you can't know. I don't want people I care about hurt."

There was a hint of surprise in her eyes. "You care about me?"

A small grin pulled at the corner of his mouth, "Of course I do. We've been friends for years, Paige."

"Oh." She said, slightly deflated. Then, "Regardless, Roman is your best friend. You should tell him something."

"No."

"You'll just push people away."

"But he'll be alive." He said. "I can let anything happen to him...or you."

"Would you two just kiss already?" He heard from the loft. Jimmy was looking down at them, smiling. "I want my dollar back."

* * *

 **A/N: haven't heard anything on this one in a while. How am I doing?**


	14. Turncoat

Seth knew what he had to do. What Hunter wants, Hunter gets. So he made his way to the entrance of Jimmy and Jey's warehouse only to pause at the door. This was not part of the plan. A wary glance over his shoulder and he easily spotted Hunters men trying to stay out of sight...and doing a piss poor job of it. No wonder Dean had been able to evade them for so long.

Those thoughts aside, he knew they would be able to grab Ambrose today. There was no exit out of the warehouse other than the front door and the sewer entrance and men were stationed at both. Dean was effectively surrounded. Again, Seth wondered idly if this was a mistake, if in the long run things would just get all sorts of fucked up again. But he had gone too far and there was no turning back. He lifted his fist and knocked.

It was Dean who answered, like he knew it would be.

"What took you so long?" But Dean paused when he spotted Seth and the somber, guilty look on his face. Then he growled and pulled Seth by the shirt collar into the warehouse.

He closed and locked the door behind him before turning to his former compatriot. "What are you doing here, Seth?"

"You know why I'm here Dean, don't play stupid." Seth answered. "Look, I've stuck to the plan. Everyone, including our friends, think I hate you. I've pushed everyone away for this suicide mission. This is what we agreed on."

"Yes, but you were supposed to take me in alone." Dean gritted out. "There's got to be thirty of Helmsley's goons out there."

"And in the sewer entrance." Said Seth. "Hunter isn't stupid. I had to tell him or he would have shot me."

Dean ran an exasperated hand down his face, "I haven't told Roman yet. You're early. You were supposed to find out about his food plan."

"That doesn't matter now." Said Seth. "We need a plan B...now. They are going to get restless with me being in here so long. Where is everyone else?"

"Getting intel on you!" Dean snapped. "I had to give them something to do other than sit here and ask me why I haven't told them anything yet."

"No, we're not all gone."

Both men turned in a panic. Paige was standing in the shadows glaring at them angrily, damn near snarling. "He's why you haven't told anyone what was going on? Even after what he did to me?"

Seth swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "You told him?"

"Oh yeah, about that." Dean said a split second before punching Seth in the mouth. "That was a dick move Rollins!"

The younger man fell back onto the hard floor with a thud, gripping his mouth and pulling his fingers away bloody. "Fuck, Dean! I'm sorry! But we have bigger problems right now!"

Dean groaned, frustrated and angry. "There's no choice is there?"

Seth shook his head after pulling himself to his feet and stretching out his sore jaw. "He won't kill you right away. He's waiting for the new Cage to be built first."

"That's not comforting Seth."

Paige stepped between them and faced Dean. She felt like they had been here before, not two weeks ago. Dean ready to turn himself in, ready to be put through punishment after punishment. But when would enough be enough? Punishment he could handle, physically and mentally, and somewhere in the back of her mind she admired him for it. But she also knew if he went back into that cage, he wouldn't survive it. Physically or mentally.

"Don't do this." She said to him, looking up into his blue eyes and placing a hand on his chest. "At least not alone."

His head was shaking when he answered her, "I know what you're thinking and I can't let you do it. Not you."

"Why not?" She asked. "You let Roman do it."

"And I never should have." He answered somberly. "It tears me up everyday remembering what they did to him. I can't let them do it to you."

"I'm not asking your permission, Dean."

"Dean's right, Paige. You can't come." Seth interjected, causing her to turn and scowl at him. "Despite everything, including your feelings, someone has to tell Roman what to do next."

She swallowed hard and looked back at Dean. The sorrowful look on his face damn near broke her heart. Again, he was doing what no one else could. He was sacrificing for the greater good. He mouthed a somber 'I'm sorry' to her. She couldn't take it anymore. Placing her hands gently on either side of his face, she lifted herself up onto her toes and pressed her lips against his, all the while holding back the tears threatening to take over. He didn't fight her. Instead he pulled her closer, wrapping his long arms around her and gently running them up and down her back.

Seth shifted uncomfortably. He didn't think this would bother him like it did, but seeing her kiss Dean and him kiss her back was like a knife plunged into his heart. What he said to her, he meant a lot of it. He really did have feelings for the raven haired beauty now expressing her love for another. Suddenly feeling like the third wheel at a high school dance, he cleared his throat to get their attention.

They broke the kiss, but he continued to hold her close. "Don't tell Roman about Seth. Tell him everything else."

She nodded against his chest but said nothing. She didn't speak until he pushed her away, looking deep into her glassy dark eyes. "Please take care of yourself."

He grinned slightly at her, "Always. Now go hide. This will probably get messy."

Again she nodded and with one last glance at Seth, she disappeared into the warehouse. Dean watched her go, fully aware of his feelings for her now. Also fully aware that he was probably going to die in that cage. He would die without ever getting to truly be with her.

When he turned back to Seth, the younger man sucker punched him in the face, sending his body twisting to the floor. He did manage to catch himself before face planting into the concrete, but Seth was on him again. He kicked him hard in the ribs. His body twisted again and this time he landed on his back, clutching at his chest and gasping for air. He knew what Seth was doing. He had to make it look like a believable struggle or risk getting caught as playing both sides.

"I've got him!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, the signal for Helmsley's men to barge in. At the same time, he planted a foot into Dean's chest to hold him down. The pressure to his sternum as immense, making it hard to breathe.

"I'll always win, Ambrose!" He growled down at him with malice dripping from every word and, for a moment, Dean actually believed him. Helmsley's men had broken down the door and charged in with weapons drawn. But Seth didn't release his foot until he got one more dig in. "You're a worthless piece of shit. The Cage is too good for you. They should just take your sorry ass out back and shoot you like the street dog you are!"

"Fuck you, Rollins!" Dean yelled mere seconds before several pairs of hands replaced Seth's foot, flipping him onto his stomach and wrenching his hands behind his back. He struggled, earning nothing but more kicks to his midsection and a boot to the back of his neck to hold him still. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!"

He was still screaming and cursing when they placed the bag over his head and pulled him to his feet and unceremoniously dragging him from the warehouse.

Seth watched with a wicked grin on his face. Sometimes he wondered if he was even acting anymore, being ridiculously good at fooling everyone, even his closest friends, into believing he actually hated Dean Ambrose.

Sheamus approached him and clapped a hand over his shoulder, "You know, I was a little worried you were going to back out on us, Fella. Hunter is going to give me a commendation for this, I'm sure."

Seth resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I hope they make him suffer. Mother fucker thinks he's so good. Look at him now."

"You really hate the guy, don't you?"

No. He didn't hate him. Not in the way Sheamus would think. But even playing a part required some iota of truth. To convince others, he had to convince himself. What he hated was the fact that Dean had Paige's heart. Something he longed for but would never have. That's what he hated him for.

But Sheamus didn't wait for an answer. "We're going to comb the place for any of his accomplices."

"There aren't any." Seth said quickly.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, "If there were, don't you think they would have showed up by now to help him?"

Sheamus seemed to accept this and waved for the rest of his men to leave the building. Seth lingered back for a few seconds, catching a glimpse of Paige in the loft, eyeing him with a face he couldn't quite make out. It wasn't hate, but it wasn't forgiveness either. For the briefest of seconds, he nodded up at her in the silent 'I'm sorry' he couldn't say. Then he followed Sheamus from the warehouse.


	15. Sunday

He counted in his head, already making it as high as 45 before he began to struggle. They say it's best to keep calm under these sorts of situations - and did he try - but there was no fighting instinct. Particularly the instinct to breathe.

They let him up from the icy water when he reached 103 and he gulped in a huge lungful of air forceful enough to physically hurt his chest. The subsequent coughing and gasping didn't help matters either.

"Ambrose, I really hate doing this to you." He said from his position at the back of the cell, watching and assessing every moment of the hellacious torture with a sickening grin. "Well, that's a lie."

"Fuck you, Helmsley." He gasped, still trying to pull in the oxygen his body so desperately needed.

Yet, Helmsley continued to grin at him. "You have no idea how ecstatic I am that you continue to fight back despite the fact that one of your best friend turned you in. Most men would crack."

Dean eyed him dangerously, hoping his eyes could convey the absolute hatred he held for the man staring at him with a contented smirk. "Seth Rollins is no friend of mine."

"Obviously." He chuckled. "At any rate, these little talks of ours have really become the highlight of my day. You know, I'm surprised at the amount of pain you can handle. I wonder if I can find your threshold before next week."

Dean stared at Hunter trying not to show the apprehension on his face. He knew where this was going, because that's where it was always going.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" He continued with a widening grin. "The cage is almost complete. We're going to re-air the the broadcast with you as the first entrant."

Dean set his jaw, "I won't fight again."

"I didn't say you were fighting."

Dean felt the hot flush of realization hit him like a sharp blow to the head. There would be no chance to survive, because survival wasn't even an option. They were going to televise his execution.

He had no chance to protest or give a snarky comment, when the order was given from Helmsley to "Dunk him."

Sheamus, who had a strong hold of his hair throughout the entire exchange, gave a quick "Yes sir!" and pushed him forward into the icy tub and held him there. He started counting again.

They let him up again at 147. He didn't know he could hold his breath for that long.

As he gasped and fought for breath, he was now aware of another presence in the cell. Even with his eyes obscured by his wet, matted hair, he would always be able to make out the stupid blonde streak. Seth Rollins. He snarled at the man the best he could, even if he did pick up the flick of apology in his eyes.

"Seth here is going to take over." Helmsley said, that grin still on his lips. "I figure, If he truly does hate you like he says he does, this should be a walk in the park. Right Seth?"

Seth didn't answer right away, he was too busy taking in the scene; Dean shirtless, on his knees with his hands cuffed behind his back, shivering. He was, in particular, watching Dean's chest rise and fall with every drawn in, ragged breath he took and the older man wondered if the sympathy he was obviously feeling was evident to Helmsley. It was a backhanded slap to his shoulder and the phrase repeated that brought him back to the task at hand. Dean watched as he forced a matching smirk and leaned down so the pair were eye-to-eye. "Y-yeah. It'd be my pleasure. Can I have a second alone with him first?"

Hunter gave a quick nod and he and Sheamus left. Granted, not before the large Irishman whacked Dean in the back of the head for good measure.

Seth waited for a few moments, knowing they would be listening before his eyes slid to deans. His chest was still rising and falling rapidly as he watched him carefully. Then he whispered carefully, "Are you alright?"

Dean merely grinned, "It'll take a lot more than this to break me."

"I know, that's what I'm worried about." Seth replied. "You realize I'm going to have to torture you if he's to believe I'm on his side."

"You do what you need to, Seth." He said, determination and seriousness playing in his blue eyes as Seth searched them for any hint of hesitation. "Don't hold back on me. Make it believable."

With a sigh, he nodded and took a hold of Dean's hair, almost breaking at the hiss of pain from the man at his feet.

* * *

Seth closed his eyes and leaned back against the brick wall. The city was quiet this time of night and he was thankful for that. He had to think, had to figure this out. His mind was going a mile a minute and he just needed it to slow down enough to get a grip on this epically fucked up situation he found himself in.

He remembered what Dean had said to him. 'If it ever comes to it Seth, do what you have to. No one else can make this believable. It has to be you.'

He had tried to protest, but Dean was insistent it be him. He was right, no one else would have been believable. No one would have bought that Roman or Dolph or Paige or Becky or any of the others would have turned their back on the great savior of this city. Seth was the only one because Seth and Dean had always had just enough clashes to make him the logical choice, even if he would have gladly taken a bullet for the man before this. And what made it harder, for both parties, is that Dean knew it. But he asked Seth to do this. He asked him to betray him. He asked him to push him away. He asked him to hate him.

But he didn't hate him.

"Fuck." He breathed into the night and pushed his shaking hand through his hair as if the movement would calm his nerves. This plan of his had gone off perfectly, without even the slightest hitch as if Dean knew how everyone would react to every possible situation. He had to admire him for that at least; the man knew how to read people.

That didn't make this any less difficult. He'd just tortured someone he considered a brother because he'd asked him to, to make it believable. He had held his head under water as Dean struggled against his hold, and Seth broke inside despite the outward screams of hatred.

But Hunter bought it, every second. He stood back smiling while Seth damn near drowned one of his best friends. He pulled Seth aside after he had finally had enough of torturing Dean - his favorite past time as of late - and gave him the information they had been after.

"You know, Seth," he had said, throwing an arm over Seth's shoulder. "It's men like you that survive in this world. The ones willing to stab their brother in the back to get what they're owed."

It had taken everything he had to not push Hunter away, to not break his neck right there, to accept the backward compliment like he was supposed to with a grin of pride like his words were hitting home. "Thank you, sir."

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Hunter said, leaning in close enough that Seth could smell his breath. "We will survive in this world because we are smart enough to do what it takes. The food trucks aren't needed anymore because we've created underground factories for food production. The natural order of things will take over and it's men like us who will stand tall in its wake."

That was it? Darwinism at work.

"When it's over, I'll need someone like you." Hunter continued, poking Seth in the chest to accentuate his point.

Though he had bit back what he truly wanted to say and where Helmsley could shove his offer, he nodded gratefully. "I'd be honored."

He hated himself for that, even if it wasn't a truth he personally held. He hated that he had to lie and pretend to be something he wasn't.

But he'd gotten what they needed. The food production was located where no one would think to look...Directly under the Cage.

So now, he had to find Roman. He had to explain that this was all part of a master plan, that they would need to work together to not only save Dean, but bring Hunter down.

To be honest, he didn't expect him to accept the offer to meet. Why would he? Seth had become the monster in Roman's eyes, he knew that. Maybe that's why when a hand wrapped around his throat, he jumped more that he should have.

Roman's face was there when his eyes shot open, his face the picture of rage, his fingers bruising Seth's neck as they squeezed. He deserved this.

"You have a lot of balls." He snarled in Seths face. "I should just snap your neck and be done with it."

"I see Paige kept her end of the bargain." He croaked out over the pressure. "We need to talk about Dean, big man."

Roman growled at him, an honest to god growl, and his fingers tightened for an excruciatingly long moment. Maybe it was Seth's words or his unwillingness to fight back that made Roman release his hold, but his hand relaxed and Seth could take a real breath. "Five minutes. Make it good because I have absolutely no problem beating you to death."

Seth swallowed hard, not taking the threat lightly. "I know this is going to be hard to believe, but this whole situation wasn't my idea. It was Dean's."

"Bullshit." Roman snapped. That was fair.

Seth took a breath and huffed it out quickly. "Look, despite how you feel about me right now, we have bigger fish to fry."

"Why should I believe anything that comes out of your lying mouth?"

That was also fair.

"Because if you don't, Dean will be dead by Sunday." He countered and proceeded to explain the situation to Roman, who stood stone faced throughout the exchange. Seth knew this would be a hard pill to swallow, that his chances of Roman believing him were slim to none. "The point was to distract Hunter, to lull him into a false sense of security. It worked, Roman, it fucking worked."

The wheels were turning in the large Samoans head, Seth could damn near see them. Then, "If I were to believe you, what would we have to do."

Seth let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Roman could have easily disregarded everything he had just told him as a lie and slammed his head against the brick wall for good measure. But he didn't. He was studying Seth with some sort of unexpected perplexed acceptance. He still had to tread lightly though as it was clear from the clenched fists of the man standing in front of him that he was still on very thin ice. "We take him down, Sunday, in front of the entire city."

Roman shook his head. "We get Dean out before that."

"We can't." Seth replied, wincing at the deserved snarl from Roman. "Look, if we get Dean out now, everything will be fucked up. The city needs to see Hunter fall. Hunter trusts me, strangely enough, I will take him out while you cause a distraction."

"Will they fall for that again?"

Seth shrugged. "I don't know. I'd expect heightened security, so it'll be difficult, but we gotta try."

There was a long moment where Seth honestly believed Roman would turn him down. He was surprised when he nodded, slowly at first, as his understanding set it. "Sunday?"

"Sunday."

Then his hand was around Seth's neck again, "You betray me, and you'll wish you'd never been born. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

He studied his face for a second, released his grip, and slipped away back into the night with a repeated "Sunday."

This was it. Their last stand. If this went wrong, the city was fucked. He could only hold to the belief that Roman would do what he needed to because Seth's task was far more dangerous.

He had to assassinate Triple H.


End file.
